


Through the Ages

by Writer_Merlin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gwaine Lives (Merlin), Immortality, M/M, Post-Season/Series 05 Finale, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28433511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_Merlin/pseuds/Writer_Merlin
Summary: What happened after that traumatic hellscape of a finale? Who really died, and who didn't? Merlin finds himself waiting to complete his destiny, but does he have to wait alone? What happens centuries later?
Relationships: Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 40





	1. 1. Grief

**Author's Note:**

> Here goes. This is my first story here, so let's see how things go! Comments much appreciated.

Merlin felt his knees buckle as the boat carrying Arthur's body floated into the waters of Avalon. All he had been through stormed his mind at once; with flashes of everyone he had lost along the way- Freya, Balinor, Lancelot, and now Arthur- _Arthur_ \- flowing through his mind, stabbing his heart along the way. Collapsing, he did not dare open his eyes and face the world he was cursed to spend and eternity in. How was he going to return to Camelot? How was he going to face Gwen and inform her what had just come to pass? He felt himself slipping into a sweet oblivion. A few voices- they seemed familiar, though Merlin couldn't place them- rang out; yet the warlock paid no heed to them. All that mattered at this moment was the blackness taking over him. Merlin kept mumbling Arthur's name as he finally passed out.

Merlin opened his eyes to find himself back in his bed in Camelot. He turned and saw Gaius' owlish face changing a bandage on his leg. Seeing him stirring, Gaius dropped the bandages and before Merlin could say anything, pulled him into a hug. It was then that Merlin remembered what had happened, and allowed himself to weep and cry and seek comfort in his father-figure's tight embrace. He didn't know how long they sat like that before Gaius gently laid him back into his bed and oblivion gripped him again. 

The next time he opened his eyes, Merlin was greeted by his first friend in Camelot, the friend he had let down the most. The friend who was a widow barely a couple of years into her marriage all because of him. The friend who was now Queen. Merlin struggled to sit up, only to be gently nudged down by Gwen, who held his hand, muttering what sounded like "It's alright, It's alright, thank you, thank you, shh..." and it was then that Merlin quietly returned to that oblivion, devoid of pain, sickness, worry, and any feeling whatsoever. 

It wasn't too long before Gaius let Merlin out of his room, and when he did, he went straight to Gwen.

"Your Majesty," he greeted her with a grim face. That fateful moment of confrontation had arrived.

"Merlin," she said, trying her best to put on something which resembled a smile.

"Gwen, I... Arthur-" she interrupted him and pulled him into a hug. Gently patting his back, she said,

"I know, Merlin. I know everything. I know you have helped him with your magic and saved him countless times. I know you tried your best to save him. Gaius told me everything after Leon and Percival found you unconscious by the lake."

"I could have saved-"

"Merlin, what happened is not your fault," said Gwen, sitting him down. "I do not blame you and do not want you to blame yourself. You have been our saviour time and again and none of us will ever forget it."

She held him as the tears came flooding back. Tears of grief for Arthur, and tears at being accepted and welcomed as his true self after all those years of hiding.

Gwen continued, "Now that I am Queen, I am going to legalise magic in Camelot, and you need never hide or suffer because of your secret. That is what Arthur would have wanted, and it is definitely what I want. Together we shall rebuild."

"Gwen, I don't know what to say... do the knights know yet?"

"Yes, Gaius told me, Leon, and Percival after they brought you back."

Despite the plethora of thoughts and feeling flooding him, Merlin did not miss the obvious omission. His heart skipped a beat as he found himself full of dread."

"Leon and Percival? No one else? Not even Gwaine?"

Merlin's face turned ashen and eyes grew wide and he found himself unable to speak or even breathe when Gwen shook her head and frowned.

"He and Percival went after Morgana. He is sill alive; though Gaius doesn't know what she did to him, but he is... Oh Merlin, I am so sorry!"

Merlin didn't hear anything after the word alive and forgetting everything, including Arthur's death and Gwen's promise to legalise magic, sprinted as fast as he could towards Gwaine's room. He was running on fumes and the last drops of adrenaline his body could muster. He ignored the familiar faces he passed on his way, staring at him and surprised to see him running through the corridors. All Merlin could think of was Gwaine. He could not go on without him. Not Gwaine too, please, not Gwaine. Not the one person he had loved after Freya, and who had loved him back. He turned a corner, not daring to hope, pleading and begging the dark corners of his mind. Merlin burst into Gwaine's room, only to find a very morose Percival sitting by Gwaine's bed. In the bed lay a shrunken shadow of the man once known as Gwaine, breathing raggedly with eyes devoid of the spark of joy and life which had been so characteristic of the rogue knight. Merlin leapt up to Gwaine and clasped his arm, giving it a little shake.

"Gwaine... Gwaine, it's me! It's Merlin!"

Gwaine turned his head and looked at Merlin. The usual cheeky grin which made Merlin blush was absent. Gwaine's eyes showed no sign of recognition as they soon turned back to the wall, looking around absently and aimlessly. He looked at Percival, who just shook his head and stared at the floor.

"No! No, this is not happening! Gwaine, it's me! It's MERLIN!" Merlin persistently shook Gwaine's arm and turned his face back to him. Gwaine weakly attempted to shake off his arm and Merlin let go, allowing Gwaine to return to his stupor. Merlin felt a cold sweat breaking all over his body and an unpleasant fluttering in his chest. He darted his eyes from the lifeless-in-all-but-name Gwaine to the frozen Percival. The room began spinning as the fluttering in his chest turned into a loud, obnoxious pounding. Merlin saw Percival jump up and shout for help as he hit the floor, back to the comfort of sweet oblivion.


	2. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin attempts to fix Gwaine.

The next few months were particularly rough for Merlin. Magic had been restored to Camelot and Gwen was proving to be a fine queen, dealing with Arthur's loss in her own way by immersing herself in work and rebuilding in a newly forged peace. The Court had shown mixed reactions when he revealed himself to be the reason why Arthur hadn't survived so many unsurvivable attacks and accidents- some noblemen had advocated imprisoning him while they could decide what to do with him, to which Gwen, Gaius, and to his surprise, the old Geoffrey of Monmouth had defended his actions so vehemently that the concerned noblemen dared not to open their mouths again, especially with Percival glaring at them with revulsion in his eyes. It was with great difficulty that Merlin tried to integrate himself as a warlock in the now safe Camelot, helping Gwen as much as he physically and mentally could while they both suffered loss.

What made it infinitely more difficult for Merlin was the time he spent in Gwaine's room, holding his hand and just sitting there watching the once-knight stare emptily at the walls and windows. Percival and Leon would often join him, and Gaius would pop in every now and then to check on Gwaine. Percival had told Merlin exactly what had happened- how they had set out, foolishly in retrospect, to capture or kill Morgana. How she had captured them, and used the Nathair on Gwaine. How he had resisted beyond human capacity till it finally broke his mind, body, and soul. How he would never forget Gwaine's blood-curdling screams as he suffered like no other human had. How when Morgana finally left, he broke free and went to Gwaine, to find him keeled over and broken beyond imagination, yet all he could think of while the capacity of thought still remained with him was how he had failed Arthur. Percival had brought Gwaine back just in time for Gaius to save his life, but nobody knew how to make Gwaine _Gwaine_ again.

Merlin spent every moment he wasn't working with Gwen pouring over every last book in the library, trying to find a cure for someone tortured to this extent by the Nathair. He once came across a book which detailed exactly what happened to the Nathair's victims. Gwaine had experienced the combined pain of every bad memory of his life. He had experienced losing his mother again- Merlin remembered the night Gwaine had revealed that painful memory to him. Gwaine had also felt physical pain burn his organs from within at the same time. He had experienced hallucinations of the people that loved him ridiculing his life and saying that that love was an illusion. Gwaine had seen Merlin laugh him off and dismiss him. Merlin could not help but shriek with agony and fall to the floor. It was there that Gaius had found him, curled up like a foetus and shivering.

Once Gaius had deemed Gwaine physically well enough, Merlin tried taking him for little walks in the gardens, knowing how much Gwaine liked the sun. Getting him out of the bed was struggle enough, but once on his feet, Gwaine was docile and crooked, latching onto Merlin's arm to prevent collapsing. His eyes never showed any signs of recognition and Merlin could not attempt to hug him, as any attempt to do so was met by a wail of anguish from Gwaine, who would leap back into bed and cower under the blanket. Gwaine never said a word to anyone, only muttering unintelligible gibberish. Merlin could have sworn he heard Gwaine mumble something along the lines of "Failed... Avalon... Merlin..." but he couldn't be sure. Merlin had adopted the strategy of speaking to Gwaine, recalling all their past adventures and shenanigans. He didn't know if Gwaine could understand a word of what he was saying, but he knew he had to try. 

"Gwaine, do you remember that time you and Percival were caught stealing Audrey's pies? Do you remember how she was about to give you two a proper walloping with her ladle, only for the pies to fly into her face? Well, that was me..."

No response.

"And that time you had me cover Arthur's trousers with itching powder?"

Nothing. Merlin moved to more intimate topics.

"Do you remember that night you told me that you love me? You had just returned from a hunting trip, and had almost been killed by a bandit. You said that that brush with death made you tell me that you always loved me right from the moment you woke up in my bed after saving Arthur in that bar fight. That you didn't say anything because you were scared to lose me. I had been ecstatic beyond words, having felt the same way and stayed silent for the same reason. How happy those next few months were..."

Gwaine twitched. Merlin felt a spark of hope in his heart.

"Gwaine, you had held me after I told you about how I had lost so many people over the last few years. You had held onto me and said you would never leave me. That you would be there for me no matter what."

Merlin felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"Gwaine, you promised. I cannot face eternity without you. Heck, I cannot face another day without you- the real you- with me."

He moved in for a hug. This time, Gwaine did not resist.

"We are going to fight this together. I have magic, Gwaine. I wanted to tell you, I really did- so many times. I didn't for your own safety. To protect you, as you have always protected me. As I will protect you now."

Merlin felt Gwaine move. He released him from the embrace, and found Gwaine's brown eyes looking right into his blue ones, both sets of eyes moist with tears. Merlin let out a gasp of joy and pulled Gwaine into a bone-crushing embrace, only to find it being returned as Gwaine's arms wrapped around him. Gwaine didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. This was progress, and Merlin knew it. They would get there. Little by little, they would get there. On his way back, Merlin let out his first laugh in months.


	3. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin meets the druids. They offer hope.

Gwen and Merlin walked through the castle, talking mostly about how Camelot was faring. It was a year since Camlann and Gwen had finally come to terms with the fact that she would never see Arthur again, never see his smile or hear his laugh. Never have his children and raise his heirs. She had decided to devote her life to the Camelot Arthur had cared so much for. So far, her reign had had success after success. The peace forged by the blood spilt at Camlann helped Gwen foster closer ties with Queen Annis of Caerleon and King Bayard of Mercia. All of Camelot's allies rejoiced with her. Cooperation between the major kingdoms of Albion had made it impossible for the bandits and thugs that roamed the wilderness to pester travellers. Trade deals followed and the markets were flushed with goods from all over Albion. Sorcerers had been scarce in the first few months, but now were a common sight in the streets of Camelot, finally out of the shadows and welcomed by the people who had never wished any harm upon them. Gaius and Geoffrey had been instrumental in compiling a history of Sorcery as it was practised in Albion and had played key roles in gaining the trust of sorcerers all over Camelot. Alice could finally return and be reunited with Gaius once more. Their wedding had been a source of immense joy for Merlin, who wanted his father-figure to be happy after all his years of loneliness and hardship. Hunith could finally make it to Camelot and moved in with Merlin in the castle.

"...so I have so much to be grateful for and happy about. But I cannot truly find happiness without Gwaine back at my side, back as his old self... Gaius and I have been through almost every book in the library but haven't found anything yet."

Gwen held his hand. "I'm sure you will come up with something, Merlin. You have faced so much in the past, and have always pulled through."

"Yes Gwen, but this seems so different to me... and Gwaine is getting better- every day is an improvement. He finally gets out of bed on his own and willingly accompanies me on our walks. All the time, he looks into my eyes and I can see him searching for a something- desperately struggling internally to understand me and remember what we were. Just yesterday he held on to my hand like it was the only refuge on earth, and he kept saying my name..."

"Do you think he will be back with more time and the same care and love you show him now?"

"I doubt it. Gaius thinks a special spark is required; I agree with him. The effect of something as vile as the Nathair"- Merlin shuddered on saying the name- "can only be undone with magic."

"I want you to know that if there is anything I can do..."

"Yes, Gwen. I'll let you know." 

Merlin smiled at her as they parted ways and he turned in for the night.

That night Merlin awoke to whispers of _Emrys_ ringing out in his ears. This time though he knew exactly who it was. Grinning, he leapt out of bed and made his way towards the forests outside the city. Soon, Merlin found himself in a clearing surrounded by druids, with Iseldir leading them.

"Hello Iseldir!"

He bowed to them, reciprocating their greeting.

"We meet again, Emrys. This time I have both bad news and good."

Merlin waited for him to continue.

"We regret to inform you that the Great Dragon Kilgarrah was found dead not a week ago. We found him lying by the shores of Avalon, having breathed his last there."

Merlin sighed. He had expected this. After their last encounter on Avalon after Arthur's death, Kilgarrah had warned him that he had little time left on earth. Out of respect for the dragon's desire to spend his last few months alone and free, Merlin had not called upon him. Finally hearing that his old friend had indeed died reminded Merlin of his duties to the other dragon in his life- Aithusa, the last of his kind. Between all that had happened in Camelot and his attempts to heal Gwaine, Merlin had not spared a single thought to the white dragon and felt a pang of guilt.

As if reading his mind, Iseldir spoke, "Aithusa lives, but she is weak and crippled. She needs her dragonlord."

"I am very sorry, Iseldir. I.. I have neglected my duty, and there is no excuse."

"Do not worry, Emrys; we know what the past year has been like for you. That said, we do implore you to look to her soon."

Merlin nodded. "What good news do you bring, druids?"

Iseldir smiled. "When we found the Great Dragon lying at the shores of Avalon, the Lady of the Lake surfaced and met us. She told us to inform you that the torture of the Nathair indeed has a cure, and that Sir Gwaine can be completely healed."

For a moment, Merlin looked at the druid chief incredulously. Then, as the words sunk in, he grabbed the old man's hand and shook it vigorously, beaming from ear to ear. 

"Iseldir, you have made me the happiest man on earth! You must tell me exactly what Freya said; there is not a moment to lose!"

Iseldir looked at him warmly. "Emrys, the Lady awaits you and Sir Gwaine at Avalon. Only those who know of your immortality may accompany you. She will explain further there."

With that, Iseldir and the druids turned, vanishing into the fog, leaving behind an ecstatic Merlin who ran back to the castle. There was hope. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really encouraged by the kudos received so far! Would love to hear your thoughts on how this is going, it is my first work after all. Let me know if you have any suggestions; other advice is most welcome and appreciated a lot!


	4. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little insight into Gwaine's mind while he was being tortured by the Nathair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING- graphic description of torture. What really destroyed me at the end of the series was watching Gwaine die the way he did, and rewatching the series has only invigorated that feeling. Gwaine was an amazing character who had so much more to him than the show lets on, and we were robbed of a happy ending for him. That is what drove me to write this fic.

As soon as the fangs of the Nathair sunk into Gwaine's neck, he felt a thousand volts flow through his body. Gwaine knew at that moment that he should be dead. His voice rang out as he felt his body burn. Why wasn't he dead yet? He begged for death. Anything was better than the thousand hot knives that were stabbing and twisting within him as he lay tied up and writhing. He could feel death approaching, and knew that it would all be over soon... Morgana wouldn't get anything from him, oh no she wouldn't. He didn't have any reason to go on, either. Well, there was Merlin, but Gwaine knew it was only a matter of time before the man he was in love with would tire of his rogue ways and leave him. As he should. Someone as kind, pure, selfless, and devoted as Merlin didn't deserve to be tied down forever with a wastrel like him. Oh no- while he might be a distraction for the servant, entertaining him and loving him with all his heart, he was not fit to be Merlin's partner in life. Yes- Gwaine was better off dead, and as the pain coursed through his body, Gwaine let his shrieks turn into mirthless laughter as he spat at Morgana. She would never get anything from him, and it was just a matter of time before the pain would end, and with it his life. 

All of a sudden, the pain subsided and Gwaine opened his eyes to find himself in a vast, black emptiness. There was no ground, no sky, nor even another human in sight- just an infinity of nothingness. Is this what happened after death? Is this the afterlife? Would anyone guide him on? Gwaine was thinking about what to do, and as if on cue, a person emerged from the blackness ahead of him. It was a moment before Gwaine realised that it was his mother. He smiled, and wiping a tear away, ran forward and embraced her.

“Oh my Gwaine!” she returned the embrace. All seemed well. It was over now. He could finally rest. In that reunion with his mother, Gwaine finally felt a peace like no other.

“Mother, I knew you would come get me!” The tears now flowed freely; tears of pure joy.

“My Gwaine… a knight, just like his father! Oh my brave, brave son… it is over now. Come with me, it is all over- your father awaits us.”

Gwaine held her hand and smilingly followed her. He was pleased with himself. Morgana had got nothing from him. Arthur and Merlin- _his_ Merlin- were safe, and he knew they would end the witch and bring peace to Camelot. He took his next step, but knew that something was wrong the moment his foot didn’t land but fell into what seemed like a pit in front of him. Gwaine yelled as his body followed his foot into the pit. What was this? Where was his mother? He look up, and saw her standing- or rather floating above him- after all, there was no ground, no sky, and no pit- just a vast, empty blackness. His mother looked down at him and called out,

“Gwaine, you must come with me now! They are coming! We need to leave- _you_ need to leave!”

His face froze. Gwaine had heard those words before. He had been in this exact situation before when he was barely a child. Lying fallen in a pit, helpless and confused, with his mother looking down at him, calling out to him. Terrified about the men that chased them as they fled across the countryside, seeking refuge. He knew in that instant what was about to happen. However, this time it wasn’t robbers and thugs who stabbed his mother in the back, sending her tumbling into the pit and onto him. This time, it was Morgana.

This could not be happening again, no! He had died, and Morgana couldn’t reach him here! She had not got anything from him! Gwaine closed his eyes in shock, trembling and whispering nonsense to whoever would listen. When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in that little clearing in the forest, tied to a post, with Morgana and her Saxons staring at him as if he was their favourite meal.

Morgana stooped down and said,

“Well, Sir Gwaine, now that you have sampled what my Nathair can do, do you care to let me know where the King is?”

Gwaine was dazed. He didn’t remember a lot, but he knew one thing. Merlin- _his_ Merlin- was with the King, and Merlin must be kept safe at all costs. He looked Morgana in the eye and spat at her face, grinning. The witch smiled.

“I was hoping you would do that!”

With that the Nathair struck again, and the pain returned. Gwaine kept slipping in and out of consciousness, ending up in the same emptiness countless times, albeit with a fresh memory each time, with every experience returning to him in front of Morgana. Yet she did not get anything from him. Each time, he experienced some of the most painful moments of his life- finding out his father died, his much older sister’s boyfriend beating him up after he had to move in with her after their mother’s death, being exiled from Camelot and being driven away from Merlin. _Merlin_.

“So you have survived this far,” sneered Morgana, “I must say I’m impressed. Though we aren’t done yet. You’ll particularly enjoy this one!” And Gwaine felt pain again.

He woke up in the blackness, memory wiped as always. Gwaine wondered where he was, and turned to find Merlin at his side. The man he loved gave Gwaine a wide, toothy, typically Merlinian grin and hugged him.

“Gwaine, I had hoped you wouldn’t join me so soon, but I cannot deny that I am happy to see you here!”

“Where are we? Are we dead? Merlin, are _you_ dead?”

“Yes. Morgana’s men got to us. Arthur was injured, and well, you know how utterly useless I am on the battlefield.”

“I should have been there with you.”

“No Gwaine, you did just fine. Morgana got nothing from you. It was our bad luck that she had sent a patrol in our general direction, and that I am such a clumsy, loud idiot.”

Gwaine sighed. He had not wanted Merlin to die so young- he deserved a long life with someone who loved him and could be loved by him.

“I really hoped you could have reached Avalon in time… I tried to hold her here as long as possible…”

Wait- something seemed wrong. Merlin’s face had pricked up when Gwaine had used the word Avalon. Merlin now stood there, smiling at Gwaine- but not the innocent smile full of life that he always reserved for Gwaine- not that smile full of love and almost adoration. This smile was full of sadistic pleasure.

“Oh, you really are simple, aren’t you? I cannot believe you fell for our ploy!”

Gwaine stood rooted to the spot, staring in horror as Morgana appeared next to Merlin and kissed him. _His_ Merlin. Both Merlin and Morgana laughed at Gwaine.

“The tales that will be sung about Sir Gwaine- strong as an ox, but not nearly as smart as one!”

No. This could not be happening. Morgana wasn’t supposed to get anything from him. He would have taken Arthur’s location to his grave. He would have died for Arthur, for Merlin. Gwaine screamed at the laughing duo before him. They vanished, along with the blackness, to reveal a smiling Morgana standing before him in the forest. The pain returned for a moment before subsiding.

“Thank you Sir Gwaine, I shall remember you to the servant boy before I subject him to an even more painful death!” Turning, she shouted to her soldiers, “To Avalon!”

It wasn’t long before they left, leaving him tied there. Gwaine wept silently, realising what had happened. Morgana wasn’t going to get anything from him, he had kept on telling himself, only to realise that she had indeed got what she needed from him. It was over. Thousands of innocents would die under Morgana’s reign because of him. King Arthur’s golden reign would never take place because of him. Merlin would die because of him. That is how Percival found him. Gwaine could muster only a few words for him.

“She’s riding for Avalon… I failed.”

He felt himself slipping away and could only think of one though as he let oblivion claim him. Merlin kissing him for the first time all those years ago was the last thought that flew through his mind. He didn’t know what Morgana had conjured up, but he did know one thing. Merlin loved him, and he loved Merlin. And he had failed the man he loved- his first real friend, the first person who reciprocated his feelings. He had sent death hastening to that person. To Merlin. _His_ Merlin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry! As you read in the first two chapters, Gwaine ends up being rescued just in time. The next chapter will have him completely recovered, with an emotional reunion between him and Merlin. Stay tuned! 
> 
> As usual, comments are appreciated a lot. I could really do with feedback on how this is going! Thanks for reading!
> 
> This work is going to be POV Merlin most of the time, but I might add occasional POV Gwaine or other character chapters to keep things interesting.


	5. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the title suggests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, the last chapter was painful to read and to write as well! None of that here. Just pure joy.

Merlin dashed back to Gaius' chambers and excitably woke up the old physician. He didn't realise that his maddened ramblings made no sense to Gaius, despite the physician having raised his eyebrow suspiciously, till Gaius had to physically hold Merlin steady.

"What has got into you, my boy? Where have you been? Sit down, and tell me. Slowly, mind you!"

Merlin grabbed a chair and patiently told Gaius of what Iseldir had conveyed. It required a great deal of energy for Merlin to be clear enough to ensure Gaius absorbed each and every word he said; the prospect of having Gwaine back had made him giddy. Gaius let out a small laugh when Merlin finally fell silent. Though he hadn’t admitted anything to Merlin, he knew only too well what Gwaine meant to his assistant-turned-son. He had known for quite some time now; the two young lovebirds had tried their best to conceal their bond from anyone else but it was literally impossible for Merlin to have hidden anything from him. Gaius was pleased indeed. He had been hesitant about Gwaine in the beginning, but then the knight had more than proved his worth. Though he was flirty and cheeky on the surface, Gaius had come to know the real Gwaine when locked up with him during Morgana’s brief control of Camelot. Gaius would never forget what Gwaine had endured for him, and had resolved to support Merlin and Gwaine whenever they decided to tell him about their relationship. Gaius had been heartbroken for Merlin when Percival had dragged Gwaine’s barely breathing body to his chambers. Seeing the most lively person in Camelot reduced to such a sorry state, and seeing Merlin’s condition at Gwaine’s pain had taken a toll on Gaius. He had come to regard Gwaine as another son and wanted to do all he could to help Merlin bring him back to his former self.

Merlin was halfway out the door when Gaius hurriedly packed a few essentials, scribbled a note for Gwen, and went after Merlin. After gently waking Gwaine, Merlin prepared a horse-cart for the three of them and left for Avalon. He noticed Gwaine flinch at the name, and knew why the knight found the name familiar. He squeezed Gwaine’s arm as the knight stared blankly at the road ahead of them. They sped along, the full moon guiding them ahead. Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and the cart, horse, passengers and all found themselves soaring above the forests. Gaius and Merlin both held one hand of the startled Gwaine as they hurtled through the air, trying their best to comfort him. It wasn’t long before they descended by the shores of the lake of Avalon. Merlin ran to the lakefront while Gaius guided a very frightened looking Gwaine behind them.

The Lady of the Lake emerged from the waters of Avalon. It was some time since Merlin had last seen Freya, and was glad to see her again under pleasant circumstances. Gaius and Gwaine stood at a distance, the latter whimpering in the physician’s arms.

“Freya, how have you been?”

Merlin bowed and shook hands with the Lady of the Lake. Freya smiled,

“It has been too long, Merlin. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Of course.” For a moment, Merlin’s mind wandered back to the time he had first met Freya. How they had planned to run away together. He felt a surge of gratitude to Freya for helping him revive the man who had succeeded her in his affections. It must not be easy for her. Almost reading his mind, Freya held his hand and said,

“Merlin, we were never meant to be. I have seen and heard how happy you are with Sir Gwaine, and how happy he was with you. You are destined to have a merry future with him, and I will help you do just that.”

Merlin nodded. This was finally happening. After over a year of Gwaine- the real Gwaine- being taken from him, Merlin could finally have the man he loved back.

“We are ready when you are, Freya. How shall it be done?”

“The only way to heal him requires extremely powerful magic.”

Merlin had a look of steadfast determination. He turned his head to where Gwaine was standing with Gaius, and back to Freya.

“I am willing to do whatever it takes.”

“The spell will only work if the love you bear for each other is true and pure.”

“That it is. And it will be till the end of time.”

“Good, because this spell will grant Sir Gwaine the same immortality you possess.”

Merlin’s heart skipped a beat. He was granted an eternity with Gwaine. He would no longer be alone. He would never watch his beloved die. Even Gaius let out an uncharacteristic yelp of ecstasy. He had spent many a night unable to sleep, worrying and lamenting the accursed immortality Merlin had been saddled with. To wait for centuries or even millennia for Arthur to return with no friend, no lasting companion, was a fate worse than death. The physician felt a large burden shift from his shoulders as he realised his ward would never be alone again.

Merlin ran back and led Gwaine towards the water on Freya’s instructions.

“Come with me, Gwaine. You are going to be just fine; I am right with you.”

Merlin was ankle deep in the water, with Gwaine stopping just shy of the waterline. Merlin cupped Gwaine’s face in his hands and looking into his eyes, said,

“Gwaine, I need you back. We all do, but I cannot survive without you back with me. I need you to come with me. See, it is safe. Morgana is dead, and will never harm you again. Nor will anyone or anything. I will always protect you, my strength.”

Gwaine’s brown eyes met Merlin’s blue, and slowly, yet more confidently than Merlin could have thought, Gwaine stepped into the water. Merlin held both his hands and led him gradually deeper and deeper till they were both waist-deep in the water. Gwaine hadn’t said a word, and yet hadn’t lifted his eyes from Merlin’s. Merlin knew that even in that moment, he was the only person Gwaine trusted. He wasn’t going to let that trust down again. Ever.

Freya joined them and whispered the right incantation in Merlin’s ear. She stood to the side, clasping her hands over Merlin’s and Gwaine’s interlocked fingers. Merlin looked at her and nodded. With that, Freya took a deep breath and began the spell. Merlin followed her, not lifting his eyes from Gwaine.

As dawn creeped upon the waters of Avalon, Merlin continued chanting, feeling the power of the magic course through his veins. He saw his hands glowing in the still darkness of dawn. He felt Gwaine’s hands trembling over his own, and saw his beloved’s face nervous and afraid. Merlin smiled as he continued chanting, tightening his grip over Gwaine’s hands. As he saw the glow on his hands pass on to Gwaine’s as well, he knew that he would never have to see the man he loved broken ever again.

The sun’s first rays hit them, and yet the birds did not chirp, nor did the animals stir for they all stood rooted to their spots witnessing the miracle unfold at the waters of Avalon. Gaius gaped at the scene from the shore, feeling blessed to witness such beautiful magic. Freya glowed herself, conducting the magic of Avalon and the magic of Emrys the Great and making sure they were in harmony. In that moment, Merlin felt a spark between his hands. They were near the end of the chant. Looking up, Merlin could see a visible change in Gwaine. He was no longer stooping, and the fear was gone from his eyes. There was still astonishment, concern, and something which resembled serenity. Yet Merlin knew not to give up in the final stretch. The magic coursing through him was now becoming almost too powerful to bear, and he was hanging on by a thread. Nevertheless, he went on, focussing on the one person that mattered. On his knight, the only man he would ever love for eternity, on Gwaine. Last few words to go… Just as Merlin felt he was about to explode, there was peace as the last word was uttered and the magic subsided. His shoulders heaving, Merlin closed his eyes gasped for breath and sighed in relief as the oxygen finally flowed through him freely. As he stood there catching his breath, exhausted at the feat he had just performed, Merlin felt two firm hands grasp his shoulders. He opened his eyes and saw the soft brown eyes of Gwaine looking right into his soul. The difference was that these eyes contained not a hint of fear, but confidence, kindness, and love. They were accompanied by a wide, typically Gwainean grin.

“G… Gwaine?”

“Merlin!”

“Gwaine, is that you? Is that really you? Are you back?”

“Yes, Merlin. I’m back, and I’m never leaving you again.”

Merlin’s heart fluttered as the words swiftly left his lips. Before he could say anything else, he was pulled in by Gwaine and felt his head crash against Gwaine’s chest. He felt Gwaine’s arms wrap around him, far too tight for him to escape. He felt the tears flow freely as he returned the embrace, hanging on to Gwaine for dear life and not letting go. Never letting go ever again. The impossible had been achieved and Gwaine was back. He started shaking as he sobbed and stuttered, clutching at Gwaine like he was the only thing that mattered in life, and in all truth, he was. Nature joined him in rejoicing as the birds erupted in song and the animals wept along with them. Freya smiled as she retreated back into the water, having fulfilled her duty. Gaius clapped and laughed like never before, wiping his own tears on his sleeves. Merlin just stood there in the water for what seemed like ages, latched onto Gwaine, and Gwaine held Merlin as they both wept blissfully with love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. The ending we were deprived of. THIS story goes on, though. We will now go back to Camelot. Merlin and Gwaine face the future together and must plan out their short term goals. We will then track them through the ages, right till the resurrection of Arthur. 
> 
> As always, comments help me quite a lot. Let me know what you think of this, and please feel free to drop suggestions/ideas below! 
> 
> Till the next update.


	6. Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwaine likes pranks. Arthur's legacy is secured. Merlin and Gwaine reveal their plans for the next few hundred years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but here we are! Gwaine's prank on Merlin (bucket of water) is a tribute to @Nebula5030 's work 'For the Love of All Who Gather' where Gwaine performs a similar prank.  
> (I am technologically a dinosaur and do not know how to tag/link works here- but do check this work out, it is my favourite!)

It was now a few months since Gwaine was back. Every morning Merlin woke up to fond memories of that day. He and Gwaine had finally broken their embrace and returned to the shore, only to collapse out of sheer exhaustion and sit their holding hands as the sun grew higher and higher in the sky. They hadn’t said anything because words were trivial and not required- each other’s presence was more than enough. Both sets of eyes, shining blue and soft brown, were red and swollen after having exhauster their capacity of tears. Not only of joy, but also tears resulting from a complete catharsis of what they had gone through over the last five to seven years. They had laughed and cried together for hours and Merlin recalled never having felt such peace before. Not until Gaius had tapped Merlin’s shoulder had they realised that there was indeed a world anxiously wondering why Merlin and Gaius were not in Camelot. On returning to Camelot, Merlin had laughed at seeing Leon and Percival gawk mawkishly at the beaming Gwaine and then run up and pull him into a hug of their own. Gwen herself had been more reserved but Merlin had detected relief, hope, and delight at seeing the knight who had flirted with her in the marketplace all those years ago back to his own capacities. A feast had been organised and Merlin had found all doubts about Gwaine’s drinking capacity evaporate as the knight indulged himself. That night had been their first dance together in public, having finally revealed their relationship for all to see. Merlin would treasure that memory for a long, long time. 

Remembering his promise to Iseldir and his duty as a Dragonlord, Merlin had finally retrieved Aithusa and had worked with her for weeks. Apart from her physical pain, the emotional scars she bore had been extremely difficult to erase. Gwaine had been with him every step of the way, till Merlin had finally got through with Aithusa and had brought back her ability to speak in the human tongue. She had been gracious enough to forgive her Dragonlord after learning all that had passed and how her mistress had tortured and killed hundreds and thousands of innocents, and how lucky Sir Gwaine was to escape alive. There was still an air of frigidity around her but Merlin knew that time and commitment would take care of that. He had sworn to Aithusa on his immortality that he would never abandon her again, and he had every intention of keeping that promise. 

Merlin walked through the corridors, on his way to a council meeting. He walked through a door, only to be splashed with water falling from above.   
“GWAINE!!!”   
He knew that this was Gwaine’s doing, with the knight having found an affinity towards pranking people now that they could all let their guard down just a bit. Percival had been his first victim, having being served a slice of apple pie by Gwaine, only to find that the pie contained salt instead of sugar. Everyone had then resolved to never touch any food offered by Gwaine. Leon had been next, having woken up one day to find his curly hair dyed bright pink. Just last week Hunith’s knitting spelt out some distasteful limericks, Alice, Gaius’ wife, went cross-eyed, and Gaius couldn’t speak a word without burping every few minutes. Well alright, those had been Merlin’s doing, but the ideas had been Gwaine’s. Shaking the water from his hair, Merlin smiled to himself, realising that he should have been cautious. He had discouraged Gwaine from pranking the Queen and that left, well, him. He quickly dried himself with a spell and walked ahead. This meeting was the most important one in quite some time, and he couldn’t afford to be late. Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Gwaine walking with him.  
“Ah, there you are! Next time try pranking someone who does not possess magic.”  
“Or what? Are you going to turn me into a toad, love?”  
“I might just do that,” Merlin quipped, “or I might make you look like the troll who married Uther!”  
They both laughed. That incident was one of the first stories Merlin had told Gwaine, while they had been polishing boots for Arthur’s soldiers when they first met.   
“I won’t look quite as gorgeous on your arm then, sweetheart!”  
“Who says you’ll be on my arm? I am Court Warlock of Camelot, Gwaine. I can’t be seen walking around with a troll!”  
“Then best keep me as it is. Wouldn’t want to ruin my beautiful face, now would you?”  
“Oh no I wouldn’t!” Merlin laughed as he gave Gwaine a quick kiss. They were now just outside the Council chambers. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Gwaine, who nodded his head and squeezed Merlin’s shoulder. They walked in together to find the rest of the Council assembled with Gwen at the helm. 

“Merlin, Gwaine, nice of you to finally join us.”   
Gwen could have a sharp tongue when necessary. Merlin turned red while Gwaine gave Gwen one of his cheekiest grins and said, “Sorry my Lady, had to give my dearest here a proper bath!”  
Not even the decrepit Geoffrey of Monmouth could conceal a giggle. It was Merlin who had to bring back everyone’s attention by declaring,  
“Right, then… so, finally getting to business,” he paused, giving Gwaine his serious glare, “the treatise on King Arthur’s life is finally ready.”

Merlin, Gwen, Gaius, and Geoffrey had spent the past few months compiling a biography of the Once-and-Future King. After their success with managing the legalisation of sorcery, Gwen had entrusted this crucial task to them. She had wanted to make sure that Arthur’s life and legacy never get forgotten, and Merlin wholeheartedly agreed. He hadn’t told the queen about his immortality yet- only Gaius and Gwaine knew, and Aithusa too of course- but he was going to right after this meeting. He didn’t want to wait for who knows how long without some sort of official record of Arthur’s life. Compiling every detail of Arthur’s life had been difficult, not only logistically but also emotionally. Many times, they would come across records of hilarious incidents about the old prat and memories of their fun times together. They would laugh together in nostalgia, but more often than not Merlin would feel the pain of Arthur’s death return all over again and would end up shaking with sobs in Gwaine’s arms. The knight would just hold him and rub gentle circles in his back, doing whatever he could to calm Merlin. 

Gaius produced the hefty book and presented it to Gwen. She ran her fingers over the covers and said,  
“Let this be our testimony to the world. Let the reign of Arthur Pendragon live forever and ever for posterity to marvel.”  
Merlin felt guilty, knowing that Arthur would rule once more but not being able to declare it to the Council. He forced the thought down as Gwaine placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing exactly what he was thinking.   
“Merlin, as Court Warlock, you will enchant one copy to survive the ravages of time. We will place it within the vaults and there it will stay, unable to be destroyed by any means. Meanwhile, we shall pass out copies of this book to every last family in Camelot. Let them all read about Arthur.”  
It was a solemn moment indeed. Merlin cast the necessary spells on a copy before it was sent down to the vaults, and Geoffrey departed to make arrangements for copies to be distributed. The many nobles bowed to Gwen, and exchanging brief words and memories of the past, moved out of the room. Only Gaius, Gwen, Leon, Percival, Gwaine, and Merlin remained. Merlin looked at Gwaine, who nodded back at him. They both checked a glance at Gaius just in case, and he nodded back, one eyebrow raised. Meanwhile, Hunith and Alice entered the room from a side door and stood next to Gaius. The time was here.  
“Gwen, Leon, Percival, you might want to sit down for this…”  
The queen looked confused for a moment but took a seat, frowning. As did the two other knights.   
“So, now that the memoirs are ready, there is something I need to tell you, but I need you to promise me that this doesn’t leave the room.”  
“Merlin, you know you can always trust me with anything,” said Gwen, looking into his eyes.  
Merlin sighed as he dropped down to a chair, holding hands with Gwaine. He decided not to beat around the bush and be as direct as possible.  
“Gwaine and I are immortal, destined to wait till Arthur is resurrected and brings back peace to Albion.”  
Gwen blinked. Percival suppressed a gasp. Leon just stared at them.  
“What? How?” Merlin raised his hand to stop the barrage of gibberish from Leon’s mouth, and continued.  
“The same druid prophecy that says that I am the greatest warlock of all time also says that I will help bring about the return of the Once-and-Future King. Gwaine was granted immortality by the Lady of the Lake as that was the only way he could have recovered from- you know.”  
Gwen closed her eyes and sighed.  
“Merlin, before we go any further, I need you to tell me if this is it. Learning about your magic, and even about you being a Dragonlord, was completely different- this, though? It changes everything. If there is anything else, I need to know now.”  
“No, this is it. I swear. At least, this is it as far as I know.”  
“How do you and Gwaine plan to… it is going to be a long wait, Merlin. And you see him again after… I’m sorry, I am still wrapping my head around this!”  
Merlin looked to the floor. This wasn’t fair. He had Gwaine with him forever, but Gwen had her husband robbed from her and would never see him again, while Merlin would.   
“Gwen, I know this is a lot. Believe me, I struggled with it myself. I don’t know when and how Arthur will return, but eventually he will. And this land will know a peace which will never be destroyed.”  
“But Merlin, you do realise what this means? You will never have any friends… no one will last more than a human lifetime. How will you age? Will you and Gwaine be able to live together?”  
Merlin was touched beyond words at this. All Gwen could think of was his well-being.   
“Gwen, I will have Gwaine with me. Before he was granted immortality, I couldn’t fathom living centuries all by myself. But the mere knowledge that I won’t be alone gives me conviction. Gwaine and I have talked about this over the past few weeks. I have also mastered the ageing spell- remember Dragoon the Great?”  
Gwaine chose that moment to wink at Percival and Leon, who blushed with embarrassment. Their encounters with that cranky old man hadn’t been their best moments.  
“Gwaine and I will age normally as we live out our lives with you.”  
Merlin didn’t have it in him to look at Gwen, or any other person in the room for the next part. Gwaine took over, rubbing Merlin’s arm before speaking. Seriously this time.  
“After… after all of you are no longer with us, we will pretend to die as well. This is another reason why our immortality is to remain an absolute secret. Morgana is gone, but we fear her hatred has infected many. For them to know who Emrys is would be potentially lethal to any effort to resurrect Arthur when it is time. After our funeral, the two of us will leave Camelot. Iseldir, chief of the Druids, has offered to help us in all we need. Only a select few of his tribe know of our plans, and that secret order, the Order of the Dragon, will serve us throughout the years. We plan to spend entire lifetimes in one place, moving to another upon our ‘deaths’. We will not get involved in the wars or issues of kingdoms and provinces, but with the Order of the Dragon, we will guard mankind from forces of evil and dark magic.”   
Merlin finally looked up and continued,  
“Aithusa isn’t immortal but dragons have incredibly long lifespans. The Great Dragon himself was almost two thousand years old when he died. She will be near us always.”

Percival stood up. “Merlin, Gwaine, we will guard your secret with our lives,” he said, pointing at Leon and himself. The First Knight nodded smilingly. Yet, there was pain on every face in the room. They all knew that immortality, even with one’s true love and soulmate by their side, was a curse. The Merlin and Gwaine they loved would face numerous challenged over the centuries, some of which may fundamentally change them. Yet they all knew that nothing could befoul their hearts and souls and that they would remain true to their responsibility, to each other, and most importantly to themselves. Gwen rose, wiping a tear. She held both Merlin and Gwaine’s hands and said,  
“What you are doing for the world requires courage the likes of which I have never seen. I don’t know how to thank you both. I can only hope that after my… after my death, we will meet again one day.”  
Saying so, Gwen walked swiftly out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated as always! Thanks to my regular readers for chiming in- it is always delightful to read your comments. 
> 
> Next chapter- are we in for a wedding???


	7. Yes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwaine and Merlin go on a walk to a hill in the forest. Merlin seizes the moment.

That evening, Gwaine and Merlin decided to go for a walk. The day had been stressful to say the least, and they could both use a break. Just the two of them and nature. Perhaps a quick hello to Aithusa as well. Merlin knew of a nice spot just a couple of miles from Camelot; it was a hill looking over the entire forest.   
“Took you long enough!”   
Gwaine had just returned after his shift ended, and Merlin was impatient.   
“Just a moment, love, there’s an actual Princess that needs protecting now!” Gwaine winked at him.   
“Oh yeah? You are going to save her single-handedly from any harm, when I could knock you out as an old man?”  
They both laughed. Merlin loved teasing Gwaine about how he had got the better of him in the form of Dragoon so many times. Merlin loved even more what a great sport Gwaine was about it, joining in the fun and coming up with jokes about how he already knew what Merlin would look like in the future, and decided to stick around nevertheless. 

Soon they were out of the city and walking through the fields towards the treeline. Merlin turned to see Gwaine standing behind him, right where the fields met the forest.  
“Come on Gwaine, we need to get there before sunset!”  
Gwaine smiled, but did not move.  
“Merlin, do you know where we are?”  
Merlin cocked his head, confused. Gwaine continued,  
“We are right where I had to leave you the second time we met- after rescuing the princess from the Perilous Lands.”  
Ah. Of course. Merlin thought back to the trip, how he had been so excited to see Gwaine again and had wished it had been under pleasant, more relaxed circumstances. That was when his slight crush on Gwaine, which had arisen when they had first met, had developed into something slightly more than a crush. In retrospect, Merlin thought that his feelings had been reciprocated a lot earlier than he thought. He of course had been dejected on having to leave Gwaine again, and he remembered seeing a tinge of regret in Gwaine’s eyes as the then-vagabond had ridden off. Merlin ran up to Gwaine and said,  
“Well, hate to break it to you but you will never get to run away from me like that again. You are stuck with me. Now, let’s go get ourselves a pheasant!”   
Merlin joined the laugh Gwaine barked out as he slapped Merlin’s shoulder. 

An hour or so and a pheasant later, they found themselves atop the hill. The view was breath-taking- Merlin had seen it many hundreds of times before but would never tire of it. Green pines blanketing the earth in their green, dark bowers met golden fields with a full harvest, while far off into the distance tall mountains watched over the land. A gentle zephyr blew, and Merlin chuckled at seeing Gwaine trying to get his hair under control. Oh yes, this was the life for him. He had the man he loved by his side, and while losing every last friend he had would be absolutely devastating, Gwaine was there to help him get through it and he was there to help Gwaine get through it. Eternity beckoned them and all Merlin could do was to prepare himself.   
The sun touched the mountains and began to stoop lower and lower. This was the moment Merlin loved the most- just before the final rays of the Sun disappeared behind the mountains, they would cast a pinkish, golden glow all over the forests and fields. He stood there, on the top of his world, holding hands with Gwaine as the birds finally returned to their nests and the beasts to their homes. All of a sudden, there was a whoosh and Aithusa emerged, having flown up the mountain. She turned and smiled at them as she flew over their heads, and decided to give them a moment. Merlin turned to see the golden light hit Gwaine as well. His face shone in the light, glowing. The last light of the sun reflected in his brown eyes as they stared off into the distance. His mouth was open with a smile of unfettered bliss. After everything, Merlin still had a hard time believing that this man was his and his alone. Just as the red sun disappeared behind the mountain, Merlin couldn’t help himself and pulled Gwaine into a deep kiss. The knight was caught unawares but welcomed Merlin’s advances, returning his kiss and wrapping him up in his arms. They stood there, breeze blowing gently in their faces, till Merlin finally broke the hug and knelt on one knee. He smiled as he saw Gwaine gasp and turn immediately, probably to dry a stray tear. He heard the knight softly laughing and knew that Gwaine had a pretty good idea of what he was about to do. The knight turned and looked down at Merlin, giving him a wink. Merlin seized the moment and drew the ring he had been hiding in his pocket all this while.  
“Gwaine, the last year has been absolutely ridiculous, and I cannot believe we are standing here today. The moment I ran into your room after finding out what Morgana had done to you, seeing you like that lying in your bed with no memory, no feeling, no thought- that has been the most painful sight I have ever witnessed. Since then, we have come a long way and there is yet an even longer way to go. I… I don’t know what I would do without you; you are the light of my life. Gwaine, will you spend an eternity with me as my hus-”  
He choked up for a second. Gwaine clutched his shoulders and smiled, raising him up.  
“Yes. The answer is yes, Merlin. I am the luckiest bastard in all of Albion, and in all the world. You have been all I ever wanted since the moment we first met. You are kind, selfless, unfailingly loyal, witty, and gorgeous. Getting to know you has been the delight of my life, and spending the rest of it- however long- with you is more than I deserve. Yes, Merlin, I will marry you!”  
Merlin let out a laugh as he slipped the ring onto Gwaine’s finger and Gwaine pulled him into another kiss. He trembled with ecstasy as Gwaine picked him up, and he locked his hands around Gwaine’s neck as the knight merrily danced circles with Merlin in his arms. Oh, how far they had come. Quick to be friends, even quicker to be lovers, and now finally they would spend eternity together as husbands. Merlin surrendered completely to Gwaine as the sky darkened and he and the knight lay on the hard rock, dreaming of the life they had ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know I hinted marriage, but this turned out to be a better idea. Don't worry, next chapter (will be longer; more plot) will cover that too.   
> As always, keep saying 'hi' in the comments!
> 
> One more thing this time- a few chapters down the line, after they leave Camelot, we see our duo journey through the centuries before Arthur's eventual resurrection. I plan to have them live in different cities/countries and interact with real life historical personalities. If you have anyone you would like to feature here, drop names and dates in the comments.


	8. Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding, life moving ahead, mother-son-son-in-law time, and a surprise visitor. Who could it be?

The wedding had been just what Camelot needed to lift their spirits even higher. The people missed and yearned for King Arthur, especially after reading the book handed out by the Queen and her council, but knew it was time for them to move on. Merlin was extremely well-liked in Camelot even before his magic had been revealed, and now the people loved him even more. Sir Gwaine had always been known as the ‘People’s Knight’ thanks to his refusal to lord his status above servants and commoners and him being a reliable customer for nearly every tavern in the land. On learning that these two beloved servants to the Crown, besides Queen Guinevere perhaps, were to marry, the people had been overjoyed.

Merlin, on the other hand, had been a nervous wreck. He had been pacing around Gaius and Alice’s chambers half the day, and pestering Hunith or Gwen the other half. Gaius eventually had to ban him from his chambers till after the wedding so he could go about his job without having his potions and books knocked over by the still-so-clumsy Merlin. Gwaine, on the other hand, had been taking the days leading up to the wedding remarkably well, or at least that’s what anyone who saw the knight strutting around the palace grounds with his usual smirk would think. Percival begged to differ, as he had walked in on Gwaine tearing at his hair and muttering incoherently. Gwaine would always swear that that was a story made up by Percival to sully his suave reputation.

The day itself had gone along perfectly. Merlin and Gwaine had decided to keep the wedding itself small, limiting attendance to only their closest friends made over the years in Camelot and outside. The ceremony had taken place at an old shrine in the forest. Hunith, Gaius and Alice, Gwen, Percival, and Leon were all there. Iseldir was present too; he presided over the ceremony. Aithusa sat at a short distance, so as to not distress some of the attendees who were not used to draconian presences. Word had been sent out to Gwaine’s sister at her last known address at Merlin’s insistence, despite Gwaine’s rigorous insistence that she was an evil old toad. They never heard back, and even though Gwaine joked about it, Merlin had detected the slightest hint of regret in his eyes, and swore to find out what had happened to her.

Right after they said their vows and Iseldir bound their hands together, Merlin felt a new feeling of completeness as he gazed into the eyes of his husband. He would never tire of using that phrase- _his husband_. The night, on the other hand, was tumultuous with music and dance. Gwaine was clearly the star of the show; this was his thing after all. He still managed to keep his ale intake under a reasonable level so as to not ruin his and Merlin’s wedding night. Later, he and Gwaine had consummated their relationship in sweet delight. This night would be one of the most memorable of his life.

The next few weeks saw Merlin and Gwaine settle into a new routine. They had been given new, larger quarters in the palace. Merlin led a busy life as Court Warlock and Chief Advisor to the queen, spending much of his time dealing with the intricacies of magic in Camelot. He strongly advocated for the introduction of magic in the curriculum of every school and university in Camelot, saying that that was the first step towards complete integration of magic into the fabric of Camelot. Gwaine was still a knight, though he was now Leon’s second-in-command. This meant fewer patrols, more paperwork, and a much greater responsibility. Gwaine didn’t mind in the least; his vagrant days were far behind him. He would always brag at social gatherings about how Merlin had ‘domesticated’ him. As for threats to Camelot, they were few and far between. There had been stirrings from what was formerly Cenred’s kingdom, but they were no match for Camelot’s army. Merlin had felt a pang of nervousness as he and Gwaine had ridden out to meet the enemy, immortality notwithstanding. There had also been a wayward witch or two who had tried to kidnap Merlin and extract his powers, but no magical foe was a match for Emrys.

Despite Camelot’s current status of prosperity, Merlin had a sickening feeling in his gut. This was not to last. He would watch these towers crumble and these walls fall.

“Is there nothing you can do about it? Is there any way you can make Camelot’s current peace permanent?”

Hunith asked Merlin as she sat with him and Gwaine.

“No, mother. Gwaine and I have no choice but to fake our deaths and leave Camelot soon after Gwen’s death.”

“But surely there is some way you can watch over these people… who knows what they will face ahead?!”

Merlin stared at the floor as Gwaine spoke for him.

“We wish it were so, Hunith. Unfortunately, were we to stay and guard Camelot, we would reveal our immortality for all the world to see and that would imperil any chances of us helping the Princess returning.”

Gwaine still referred to Arthur by that oddly perfect moniker, helping Merlin fondly recall the man he considered a brother. He continued,

“We have resolved to not involve ourselves in the affairs of mankind. Our duty, and that of the Order of the Dragon, is to ensure that there is no serious magical threat to the entire world.”

Hunith’s eyes watered up.

“It’s not fair! Both my boy and you deserve a normal life! You deserve happiness and peace, and what this prophecy has resulted in is an absolute nightmare for both of you! You will never have any permanent friends, no one except the members of the Order! Why…”

Merlin couldn’t hear what she was saying after a point. He continued staring stonily at the floor. At some point Gwaine got up and tried to calm Hunith down. Merlin saw him pat his mother on her back while hugging her, letting her sob on his shoulder. That Gwaine and Hunith liked each other so much was another source of comfort for Merlin, and he gradually found the energy to rise and join them in a group hug.

“There, mother… I have Gwaine with me, and we will be just fine. Don’t you worry about us! Besides, I will need an eternity to get him to learn Dragontongue!”

Hunith let out a weak chortle as she dried her eyes.

“Well, leave it to you boys to cheer anyone up in a moment like this!”

All of a sudden, a very flustered looking Leon burst into the room.

“Gwaine, come with me! There’s a woman at the gates; she claims to be your sister!”

Merlin jumped to attention on hearing the words, and turned immediately to Gwaine. His husband had turned a very grotesque hue of pink and grey. Gwaine had told him all about his mother and how he had lost her, but he had said very little about his sister, conveniently changing the topic whenever Merlin brought her up. After a point Merlin had realised that he shouldn’t push Gwaine and that he would tell him when the time was right. All he knew was that Gwaine had had a falling out with his sister at some point and they hadn’t spoken in years. The last brother-sister falling out Merlin was involved in had resulted in the death of the King of Camelot. The death of Arthur.

Gwaine didn’t say a word, but grimaced as he walked past Leon, showing no intention of following him to the woman who claimed to be his sister. Merlin ran after him and finally caught up near the stables. Gwaine had prepared a horse and was about to ride out.

“And just where do you think you are going?”

Gwaine turned and smirked at him.

“Oh, just here and there, love. Fancied a meet up with Aithusa. Why don’t you come with me?”

Merlin walked up to Gwaine and grabbed his wrist, trying to get him to turn back.

“Gwaine, do not run from your past… what good will it do you? Just meet with her and see what she has to say!”

“Never. The last time we met, she said that she never wanted to see me again; I am just complying with that old toad’s directive.”

“That was years ago- is there no chance the two of you can reconcile? Please, just hear her out!”

Gwaine sighed, and put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder.

“Merlin, the answer is no. At least not right now. I need time to process this. If she is indeed back, it isn’t for anything good.”

He leapt onto the horse.

“Alright Gwaine, but promise me you will think about it? I don’t know what happened, and I will not push you to tell me.”

Merlin was worried. From all accounts, this had been the version of Gwaine which decided to ride out with Percival to kill Morgana. He held out an arm as he continued,

“But you do know that we are one now, and that you can trust me with anything, right?”

Gwaine paused as he turned his head.

“Come with me, Merlin. I think it is time you heard the complete story.”

Merlin rushed to get a horse, and soon he and Gwaine were galloping out of Camelot. For once, there was silence as neither man spoke or even smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since we learnt Gwaine had a sister, I have always wondered how she featured in his story. Let's see what he tells Merlin in the next chapter!  
> As always, comments and kudos appreciated. Also reiterating this- if you have any historical figures you want to see featured in this story, interacting with our duo, please drop names in the comments! 
> 
> REQUEST- Along with writing, I love reading stories here too. If someone could write a long-ish story about Merlin meeting and falling for Gwaine, albeit in a modern day university setting with the other characters part of the friend group, I would be absolutely delighted to read it!


	9. Sister, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Gwaine's past.

Merlin and Gwaine rode for an hour or so before they stopped at the banks of a brook flowing through the forest. They dismounted and walked along the banks. Merlin could see the tension on Gwaine’s face and knew that what he was about to hear would be extremely difficult for Gwaine to say. He clapped Gwaine on the back as he sighed and spoke with a heavy voice, eyes following the bubbling water of the brook.

“You know all about what happened to my parents- my father died fighting in Caerleon’s army, and after that it was just my mum, Ciara, and me. Ciara is seven or so years my senior. In the beginning, it was all just fine- we had turned to farming and had settled in a small village near the border of Caerleon and Mercia. I must have been barely two years old then. We spent a decade there, content with a simple lifestyle. Then the gangs arrived and took mum from us. Ciara and I barely managed to hide and make it to the nearest town, where we had to struggle for every morsel of food. We had absolutely nothing, and to her credit, my sister made sure we didn’t starve. She worked three jobs and ensured I had all the nutrition I needed. Truth be told, I’m not sure if I would be here telling you all this had it not been for her resilience back then.”

They paused for a moment, and Gwaine waded a little into the brook. Merlin settled down on a rock just at the bank. He didn’t say anything, knowing that the best thing he could do was listen without any interruption. Gwaine continued, staring at the little currents forming in the rapidly flowing water.

“When I was fifteen and she was twenty-two, Ciara started seeing this absolute hog of a person named Daire. There was something very unsettling about him, but I saw that my sister was happy with him and didn’t say anything. He wasn’t outright nasty to me, at least not at the onset. It wasn’t long before they married and we moved into his house. It was just about then that he started manipulating her. I warned her many times, trying to get her to see how he had completely managed to wrap her around his finger, but Ciara just wouldn’t listen.”

Gwaine lowered his head.

“I don’t know what changed between us. It was clear to me that Daire wanted me gone. He must have poisoned her mind to the degree that she couldn’t stand my presence anymore. The sister who had ensured my survival stated bluntly how she regretted doing so, how I was insulting her dear husband’s honour by bad-mouthing him to her, and how I was just a waste of resources. All this time, Daire stood by and watched. I still remember the smug look on his face as my relationship with Ciara disintegrated.”

Merlin felt nauseous. He wiped the tear from his eye as he leapt up and went up to Gwaine, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. When Gwaine next spoke, his voice was quivering with a mixture of rage, grief, regret, and nostalgia.

“One night, I was awoken by Ciara and Daire. They wanted me to leave, right then. I barely managed to sneak mum’s necklace and wedding ring in my pocket as they rushed me out of the house in the middle of the night. I cried out to my sister, trying to appeal to any remnant of the love she once had for me. She looked right into my eyes and said that she never wanted to see me again, and if I didn’t leave or ever came back, Daire would feed my corpse to his dogs. All the time, Daire stared at me. I will never forget that haughty face of hatred as I walked away. I skipped town and have never remained in one place for long ever since… until I met you.”

Gwaine broke down completely as Merlin pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back and not saying a word.

“Over the years, there have been so many… so many times I wanted to return, to slay that pig… who stole my sister… my beautiful Ciara. Right after she saved my life…”

Gwaine paused for a breath.

“Somewhere along the road I learnt how to use a sword… I knew I could handle that swine any day of the week, but I wasn’t brave enough to face my sister again. I could not handle seeing her face glaring at me… detesting my very presence… I could not do it, Merlin. I didn’t save her and instead… instead I let resentment seep in and hated her for what she did to me… Merlin, I was weak and pathetic and turned away”

At this point Gwaine was an absolute wreck. Merlin just let him cry into his arms as he cradled his head gently and shushed him silently. It was like that that Aithusa found them as she flew in through the canopy. She looked at Merlin, who put a finger on his lips. Aithusa approached them and buried her head into the crook of Gwaine’s neck. They lay there like that for quite a while, before Merlin finally found his voice and said,

“Gwaine, I don’t know what to say… I am so sorry for pushing you to talk to her earlier.”

Gwaine straightened up and said in a gruff voice,

“You didn’t know, love. Besides, you made a good point. If she’s here without Daire, perhaps she is back to her own senses. I just don’t know what I will do if that is not the case…”

Merlin cupped Gwaine’s face and said,

“Either way, you have me and I have you. We will take care of each other.”

Gwaine nodded, and they rose. Aithusa muttered a few wishes for Gwaine and flew off- she still wasn’t as loquacious as Kilgharrah had been. Merlin had a sick feeling in his gut as they rode back to Camelot, hoping and praying that Gwaine and Ciara could finally be reconciled. He could see Gwaine’s stony expression as they entered Camelot and were led to Ciara’s room.

“Do you want me to wait outside?”

“Yes, I think that would be for the best. Just give us a few moments, and if it goes well, I will call you in to introduce you. If not… let’s see to that later, shall we?”

Merlin sat on a bench outside after giving Gwaine his warmest, most reassuring smile as the knight knocked on the door and entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. Next chapter- Gwaine POV as we witness the confrontation.


	10. Sister, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up where we left off. Confrontation between Gwaine and Ciara. Gwaine POV.

Gwaine stepped into the room to see the woman who was once his sister sitting by the fireplace. She rose and reached out to him, stepping closer. Gwaine instinctively raised his hands and pointed at the chair. He could see her face betraying guilt and torment, and one day that would have softened his heart. Not today, though. Today the only image he had in mind of his sister was the woman who had banished him from their home on pain of death. The sister who had brought him up, only to discard him as if he were an old toy. He looked right into her quivering eyes as his own spewed fire and angst.

“Twelve years, Ciara. That is how long I wandered Albion before I finally found a home here. Twelve years of begging for scraps, subjecting myself to horrors, fighting for every meal, turning to alcohol and gambling, and barely living. That is what you sentenced me to.”

She broke eye contact, looking between her legs as the tears flowed.

“And now, when I finally found peace and happiness, someone to share my life with, someone who actually loves me just as I love him- NOW, after five of the best years of my life, you choose to return, for who knows what reason?!”

Gwaine’s eyes stung as memories of the past kept flooding into his mind. A life without responsibility might seem exciting to many, but Gwaine knew it was not. The most haunting memories were caused by the many times Gwaine had been captured by bandits and had been forced to fight to the death with members of their gang who had fallen out of favour. Every time he had pulled his sword from the bellies of slain men, many of them innocent, frightened folk who were forced to steal to provide for their families, a part of Gwaine had died within him. He had turned to alcohol to help deal with it.

Ciara looked up and attempted to speak feebly,

“Gwaine… Gwaine, please listen! I… I have no right to be in your presence, and I cannot fathom what you went through. Especially after what they did to mum…”

Gwaine settled down into the corner of the room, gripping his hair and closing his eyes.

“For the sake of the love we once had for each other, speak. What happened? I will never truly find peace till I know…”

Ciara sighed as she prepared to speak.

“A few weeks ago, a messenger arrived with news of your wedding. I don’t know what happened, but all of a sudden, I felt like I was waking up from a long night’s sleep. I felt sick realising how the past seventeen years had gone, what I had done to you. All I could think of was the way I treated you seventeen years ago, and I couldn’t for the life of me understand why I had done what I had done.”

She stood up and started pacing.

“Daire had walked in right then and seen the invitation. He had threatened me with a knife to my throat, warning me to leave. It was just then that I realised that none of the affection I had for that man had been genuine, it was an illusion of sorts. Of course, this is no excuse… I should have fought, resisted, and given my everything against whatever he had done to me. I didn’t, and slowly and gradually my mind became his. I was but a slave to his whims and gave him all that he wanted. All we had managed to save up till then, my honour, and eventually your life.”

So, it was sorcery, or that is what she claimed. Gwaine looked up at her, eyes red.

“My husband Merlin happens to be some sort of an expert in that field,” he said, contempt dripping in each and every word, “We’ll let him see if you are telling the truth!”

He leapt up and knocked at the door. Merlin walked in from the corridor; his face grim. Gwaine looked at Ciara and said with a mirthless smirk on his face,

“So Merls, this is the lady I was just telling you about. Ciara, this is my husband, the Court Warlock of Camelot.”

He watched Merlin as the warlock approached his sister. Just looking at him was enough to calm Gwaine down considerably. Merlin was gazing at Ciara and for a moment seemed to be struck by her beauty and how much Gwaine and her looked alike.

“Ciara here says that she had been enchanted by my dear brother-in-law,” said Gwaine.

“Well Ciara, I really hope for Gwaine’s sake that is true. He has told me everything that has happened, and while I really wish the two of you could reconcile, we both need to know whether your actions were genuine.”

She nodded rapidly. Merlin approached her, and looking at her for permission, which was granted, clasped her palm between his hands. His eyes gleamed golden as the warlock got to work. After a moment, Merlin dropped her hand with a gasp.

“You… you were served ten milligrams of enchanted wormroot every day for the past seventeen years! That certainly explains the delusions, but I detect something else, something darker…” Merlin scratched his head for a second, but then turned pale. Grabbing Ciara by the shoulders he asked,

“Toadstools! Did you eat toadstools on your way here?!”

Ciara turned ashen as she nodded yes and started breathing heavily. This was not good at all. Gwaine’s breath stopped as he rushed forward, catching his sister just in time as she collapsed. He turned his head rapidly from Ciara’s barely conscious form to Merlin, as the warlock whispered healing charms rapidly. All of a sudden, Gwaine’s wrath disappeared as it transformed into horror and regret.

“Ciara! Merlin! Should I... Gaius?” He barely got the words out. Merlin hurriedly shook his head saying something which sounded like ‘no time’ before chanting away again. Ciara was hyperventilating and struggling to breathe. Gwaine felt useless and pathetic as all he could do was hold her hand as she looked into his eyes, scared beyond words.

“G…Gwaine… I am so sorry… I…”

“No, Ciara, don’t you apologise to me! You had no choice in your actions, you weren’t yourself!”

“I am so happy… happy for you. You have done really… really well!” She pointed her eyes to Merlin, who was still furiously chanting healing spells while touching her neck.

“My brave brother, my strong knight…”

Gwaine regained enough composure to keep talking,

“Just hang in there Ciara, Merlin is the most powerful magician there is and he is going to cure you!”

“No… it is time, Gwaine… I can see the light now… I will hug mum for you. She will be proud of the man you have become, just as I am…”

“Ciara NO! I am so sorry about everything I said earlier! Don’t you leave me again!”

Gwaine frantically shook her hand as the light faded from his sister’s eyes.

“Come back! Merlin, do something! Why is she… NO!!”

Ciara’s hand grew limp in his grasp as his sister gave him one final smile, full of love, before she passed on. Gwaine screamed into the walls as he found himself drowning in shame, guilt, and regret for making his sister’s final moments so painful. He turned to find Merlin, who was kneeling next to his sister’s body, looking perplexed, spent, and just as heartbroken as he was. Through his tears, Gwaine noticed something strange on his sister’s dress- it was a jewel of sorts, and as he stepped closer to look at it, he noticed there were some runes engraved on it. Just as he was about to touch it, Merlin’s hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him. He looked up to see the warlock break the jewel from where it was embroidered into the dress and examine it. Merlin gulped as he looked up at Gwaine. His eyes portrayed resignation and pain.

“Of course. This jewel blocked every healing spell I performed on her. Much like the necklace Morgana had enchanted when Uther was injured- that is why I could not cure him either.”

Gwaine felt a fire building up within him. He knew exactly who was responsible for this, and casting one more sorrowful look at Ciara’s body, he headed for the door. It was time to go meet his brother-in-law. He faintly heard Merlin yelling at him from behind, but ignored him. The warlock came running after him as he entered the stables and saddled a horse.

“I have to do this, Merlin. Alone.” He turned to see Merlin nod.

“Do what you must, Gwaine. I understand. Just be careful.” With a grim nod, Gwaine headed off into the night. Back to the place he swore he would never return to again.

The next morning, Daire was found lying dead in his bed. He had a thousand cuts all over his body. Each had been made with precision. No one in town was sad to see the local bully dead, and many said a silent thank you to his anonymous slayer, who was nowhere to be found.

Gwaine rode back to Camelot immediately after dispatching the brute who had killed his sister. Merlin was waiting for him, and hugged him tightly just as he had dismounted. They had proceeded to the shores of Avalon, where Freya had greeted them with a mournful look on her face. Aithusa burned Ciara’s body on the lake as Merlin and Gwaine paid their respects from the shores.

“She is at peace, Gwaine. No one will ever torment her again.”

“I should have returned earlier. I should have checked on her, even if she may have sent me back or threatened my life again. This is my fault, Merlin, and I will never forget it.

Merlin looked into his eyes and said,

“Don’t ever think that, Gwaine. If there is one thing that I have learnt in all these years, it is that evil strikes in many forms and more often than not there is nothing we can do about it. Ciara’s case was such. She lived a difficult life and there is no way you could have broken the spell which bound her.”

“I was a horrible brother…”

“You weren’t. That’s what she wanted you to know, that’s what she said just before she moved on. Because what mattered most to her was you. She wanted you to be happy, Gwaine, and she loved you. And she knew you loved her back. And don’t you ever forget that.”

Gwaine nodded as he saw the fire consume his sister’s body. He would never forget what happened to her. He would never let this happen to anyone ever again. He would spend an eternity with Merlin, ensuring that magic like this was never practised again. For Ciara’s sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah... I did that. Please don't hate me or this story! 
> 
> Classes begin today- I might not be able to update as regularly, but please don't stop reading!   
> Thanks to my regulars, and welcome to any new readers.


	11. Goodbyes, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the title says. Be warned.

The next few years were pretty uneventful. Merlin had been heartbroken on seeing Gwaine blame himself for his sister’s death, and it had taken him a while to convince Gwaine that that wasn’t true. He knew exactly what Gwaine was going through. Arthur was his brother by all but blood, and losing him had been devastating. Merlin often found his eyes stinging on thinking about his times with Arthur, and Gwaine had been there for him every single time. Merlin wanted to make sure he was there for Gwaine when he was going through the same survivor’s guilt.

Of course, there were a couple of incidents involving magic here or there. Merlin may or may not have found and accidentally unleashed another goblin from the city vaults, and though this one did not possess Gaius, it got to Gwaine, and the knight was found loitering in the lower town in naught but his undergarments. Luckily this time they knew exactly what they were dealing with, so they didn’t have to deal with Camelot’s best knight wreaking havoc in the city. Then there was that time when a few stray wyverns found their way to one of the outer villages, but they had been no match for a much larger, fire-breathing Aithusa.

Merlin had been happy with life, though not having the threat of imminent doom hanging over his head had seemed strange at first. His mornings consisted of breakfast with Gwaine, followed by a council meeting with Gwen. He would then lunch with Gaius, Alice, Hunith, and Gwaine. Spending time with this new, loving family was often the highlight of Merlin’s day. Lunch would be followed with a few hours of teaching young sorcerers how to control and temper their magic at the new magic school he had established. This would then be followed by a walk, a ride, or a picnic- or perhaps all three- with Gwaine, whose duties ended about the same time his own did. Every once in a while, they would meet with druids of the Order of the Dragon, discussing any potential magical threats to Albion or making plans for the future of the Order. Aithusa would almost always join these meetings. Merlin was proud of what he had achieved with the dragon after years of work and building trust from both parties. Aithusa had eventually completely forgiven him for his initial neglect, and had become a devoted, albeit literally draconian daughter to Merlin and Gwaine. Much to Merlin’s chagrin, Gwaine loved to spoil her with pies and other treats stolen from the palace kitchens. While they had faced off against many enemies in their years together, Merlin and Gwaine always dreaded the cook, Audrey’s fearsome wooden ladle. The proud chef didn’t hesitate to use it on the Court Warlock or his consort, the Second Knight of Camelot.

As the days went by, Merlin grew despondent. Gwaine could sense what was bothering him- Gaius was getting older and older, and Merlin feared that their time with the old physician was drawing to an end. Despite his age, Gaius was always the picture of good health and hadn’t cut down on his work. He had his wife Alice to help him, and never saw age as a reason to slow down. Gwaine had always admired the physician and over the years had grown to love him just as much as Merlin did, seeing him as the father he never had. Gaius too had been indulgent with the two sons he now had, loving them and fussing over them. His affection for Gwaine had grown considerably after the knight had spent days fighting Morgana’s henchmen for scraps of bread when the witch had captured Camelot. Of course, after witnessing Merlin and Freya heal Gwaine and seeing them married, this affection had grown into real love. Gwaine would often smile at the old man’s needling and occasional teasing, and would graciously thank him each time he would personally deliver medicinal supplies and protective tonics when Gwaine had to leave Camelot for a few days at a stretch for official business. When Alice had eventually passed on, Merlin and Gwaine had felt Gaius’ grief and regret. Though he didn’t verbally share the pain he felt at being separated from Alice for such a long period of their lives, only to be reunited and now separated by death, they knew what the old man was going through when his smiles became few and far between and his enthusiasm for life and medicine diminished. It wasn’t surprising, then, that a few weeks after Alice’s passing, Gaius himself was confined to his bed after feeling a throbbing pain in his chest. Gwaine felt terribly for his father-figure, but also for Merlin. Gaius and Merlin shared a unique bond, and the warlock had become miserable over the past few days. He spent every waking moment next to Gaius’ bed and refused to budge. Gaius had obstinately refused magical aid, and would only accept scientifically tolerable cures. All Gwaine could do was to keep Merlin company and ensure that he and Gaius received everything they needed. Hunith was present too, doing everything she could for her family.

One afternoon, Gwaine sat with Merlin and Gaius, and talked about one of his old adventures to lighten the mood. The old man smiled from his bed as he saw Gwaine rattle on. It wasn’t long before Merlin was fast asleep though, mostly because he had had less than ten hours of sleep over the past four days tending to Gaius, despite the physician trying to get him to rest. Gwaine babbled on and on till he felt Gaius’ hand clasp his. He turned to see the old man’s owlish eyes looking at him with concern.

“What is it, Gaius?”

Gaius tried to sit up, but Gwaine gently pushed him back into bed.

“We’ll have none of that, now!” he said, and knelt down so that he was inches away from Gaius’ face, so that the old man didn’t have to muster the energy to speak loudly. When Gaius spoke, his voice was a faint whisper.

“Gwaine, we both know my time here is coming to an end…”

“No, Gaius! Let’s not go there, right? I’m sure you will be up and about in-”

“Gwaine, for once in your life, please just listen to me.”

Gwaine paused, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish before nodding and holding Gaius’ hand.

“When I am gone, Merlin is going to be broken- he will be like he was when Arthur died. My only comfort is that you will be there with him then.”

Gwaine felt his eyes stinging- the tears were not far off.

“During the time I have had with you, you have proven yourself to be a devoted, caring, authentic person… nothing like the brash drunkard who had to polish the boots of Camelot’s entire army to pay for his evening at the tavern, or tried to flirt with Gwen.”

Gwaine smiled. Looking back, he credited his time with Merlin with teaching him responsibility, empathy, and selfless service. The flirting had gone much below what it once was, but hadn’t been rooted out entirely- after all, Gwaine had a reputation to maintain.

“Though who’s to say that I still don’t go flirting with tavern wenches, Gaius?”

The physician barked out a laugh, which quickly turned into a hoarse cough. Gwaine immediately regretted his joke and steadied Gaius by rubbing his back and helping him sip some water. After wheezing for a while, Gaius finally continued.

“You were always one for the witticisms, Sir Gwaine! Anyway, I want to apologise for misjudging you at first. You and Merlin were discreet back then, but not enough to hide your relationship from me… At first, I had been scandalised, shocked that my son- and after all we have been through, he _is_ my son- would be happy with a vagrant- a brave one, but a vagrant nonetheless- like you.”

Gaius straightened up and looked directly into Gwaine’s eyes.

“I have been in the Court of Camelot for more than eighty years at this point, and have never misjudged a person so grossly. And for that, and my initial coldness towards you, I owe you an enormous apology.”

Saying this, Gaius began shaking his head in shame, looking down as he cried. Gwaine was shocked at first, but instinctively reached forward and pulled Gaius into a hug.

“No, Gaius. You don’t owe me anything. It is I who owes you so much… for trusting me, for giving me Merlin, and for loving me like a son. When I got to know about my immortality, I always feared I would have to spend centuries without knowing what it feels like to have a father, and you, Gaius, have taken that fear away.”

Gaius smiled as he dried his eyes.

“Take care of yourself, Gwaine… it’s going to be a long time. Take care of Merlin, and let him take care of you too. There may be moments when both of you question everything you believe in- who knows what the future may bring.”

He leaned forward and Gwaine could see that their conversation had worn Gaius out a lot. Gaius whispered, voice barely stable,

“Never forget the love you share. Never forget that, Gwaine. Even when all may seem lost, you will find an answer in there. Never forget your love, Gwaine…”

Saying that, the old man gave Gwaine one last raised eyebrow before laying back and falling asleep. Gwaine just sat there, letting Gaius’ words seep in as he prepared himself for the inevitable. He looked at Gaius’ and then Merlin’s sleeping forms and resolved- no matter what happened, he would never forget.

Gaius passed away peacefully in his sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we need to move ahead with the plot. Based on the title of this chapter, you can guess what's coming next. But don't worry, this isn't the last we'll see of Gaius. Thanks to my regulars, welcome to new readers!


	12. Goodbyes, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the title says.

True to Gaius’ word, Merlin had found his death as bad as, if not worse, than Arthur’s. He would often drop by the physician’s quarters, almost hoping to see Gaius by the bookshelves or brewing a tonic. It wasn’t a few months and constant love and support from Gwaine before Merlin finally moved on. Till then, he had cried onto Gwaine’s shoulder countless times, thinking of how Gaius had raised him and been there for him innumerable times over the years. Hunith’s death a few years down the line had had a similar impact on both Merlin and Gwaine.

Merlin and Gwaine continued their life in Camelot without any major change. It wasn’t long before their first grey hairs appeared, and Merlin had the laugh of a lifetime on seeing Gwaine shriek at his reflection in the mirror when he found a single silver strand in his glossy mane. Merlin himself accepted his age with grace and grew a beard to match his growing, greying hair. Gwaine still insisted that his beard was the better of the two.

Merlin hurried down the stairs. Today was an important day- the Order of the Dragon was meeting to finalise what would happen to Merlin and Gwaine after their ‘deaths’. Gwaine met him by the gates, and they set out to the forest. Despite magic having been fully integrated into the fabric of Camelot, the Order itself was still a complete secret- Gwen, Leon, and Percival were the only ones still alive who knew of its existence apart from the members of the Order. Merlin had a sombre expression as they rode towards the canopy, and Gwaine didn’t ramble on about his day as he always would. Soon, they reached a clearing, where they waited as Aithusa flew down to greet them. She was fully grown now, and looked majestic in the light of the setting sun.

“Good evening, Aithusa. Are they ready?”

“Greetings, Emrys. Gwaine. Yes, they wait for us below. Shall we?”

Merlin smiled and reached for Gwaine and Aithusa. His eyes flashed gold and after uttering the right spell, the trio found themselves in a gargantuan underground chamber. Right in the middle was a round table, not unlike the one in Camelot. Around it sat five druid chiefs, leaving two spaces for Merlin and Gwaine. To maintain secrecy, it had been decided that only five experienced leaders with magic would interact directly with Emrys and Sir Gwaine- they would then delegate what work was required to the rest of the Order, revealing only as much information as was required to get the job done. As Members of the Order rose in rank with age and experience, more mechanisms and secrets were revealed to them. Only the most senior members of the Order were eligible to replace one of the Five in case of a death. Merlin had formed most of these rules with Iseldir when they had first established the Order. They had constructed the underground cavern together, making sure that it was only accessible by magic to Gwaine, Merlin, the Five, and Aithusa. Not even the other members of the Order knew of this place.

They took their seats at the table, with Aithusa sitting to the side. Merlin began,

“Before we begin, is there anything crucial we need to know about?”

“Nothing so far, Emrys,” said Fiona, Master of the Five and successor to Iseldir. She was a kind, wise lady whose green eyes seemed to pierce everything within their gaze.

“All is calm so far. There were reports of a few sorcerers banding together to raid villages, but Alfrid’s men can take care of those,” she said, gesturing to Alfrid, another of the Five who sat at her right. A penitent Saxon, Alfrid had spent years trying to right the wrongs his kind had done, and now managed most of the Order’s combat forces.

Merlin nodded.

“Good, then. As always, Alfrid, let us know if we can do anything to help. Now, moving on to the main business of today. Gwaine and I are not getting any younger, and nor is the rest of Camelot. Kenan, what have you come up with?”

Kenan, a druid from Essetir, was the youngest of the Five and had been tasked with finding options for Merlin and Gwaine after their ‘deaths’. Merlin smiled at him as he spoke, trying to make the younger man feel more comfortable.

“Emrys, we went through many possible scenarios. The only plan which satisfies all our objectives will have you leave Albion, at least for a couple of centuries.”

Merlin blinked. He had been prepared for many things, but leaving Albion? He looked over to Gwaine, who shared the same concern, worry written all over his face. Kenan continued,

“Albion is safe, Emrys. There are no signs of Morgana’s followers, nor any indication that they even exist. Peace reigns between the kingdoms. Our only major concern is that being so close to home will be far too much of a temptation for you and Sir Gwaine.”

Merlin considered the druid’s point. He was right, after all. Camelot, Ealdor, Avalon… those places contained far too many memories, both pleasant and painful.

“Why can we not return sooner?” Gwaine spoke up.

“Sir Gwaine, Camelot is safe and peaceful _now_. We all know that that peace shall not last indefinitely, especially when Queen Guinevere is no longer with us. We fear that the sight of Camelot in distress may make Emrys use his powers to intervene.”

Merlin closed his eyes. He knew that he would one day have to sit and do nothing while the spires and turrets of Camelot collapsed. Perhaps Kenan was right, and being away for a few centuries might help.

“He is right, Gwaine,” Merlin said, after noticing Gwaine looking livid.

“We need to go away. Let history run its course. The Order can deal with trivial magical threats, and one of the Five can call for us if absolutely necessary.”

The Five had been given uniquely crafted tokens by Merlin, each containing runes and symbols having specific meaning. Those were to be passed on by the Five to their successors upon death. Merlin had enchanted each token, making sure that none but the Five could ever handle them. Only upon seeing a member’s token would Merlin or Gwaine be sure of their identity.

The rest of the meeting was spent laying out specifics. Merlin felt his mind slipping away, thinking of the world beyond Albion. He kept sneaking glances at Gwaine, who promptly returned them, eyes hurt at knowing their fate, but understanding of why it must be so. It wasn’t long before they were back on their way to Camelot. Merlin would tell Gwen, Leon, and Percival their plans the following day- they deserved to know.

Merlin treasured each day he spent in Camelot, deriving joy from each walk, each meal he shared with his friends and Gwaine. They made sure to visit all their favourite spots near the city, and even went on a final journey around Albion, recalling all their past adventures and quests. Gwaine particularly enjoyed their visit to the tavern where they had first met all those years ago, when Gwaine had taken a knife in his leg for Arthur. Merlin turned red when Mary, who was still the owner of the tavern, remembered him and reiterated how handsome she thought he was, only to be sternly told by Gwaine that Merlin was _his_. Visiting Ealdor on the other hand had been a nostalgic moment for Merlin.

It wasn’t long before Merlin was in his late seventies and Gwaine in his late eighties. Merlin looked almost exactly like Dragoon the Great, and every time he looked at the mirror, he let out a small laugh thinking about all the fun he had had disguised as the old sorcerer. Camelot had changed considerably over the years- the fortress was twice as large now, and the lower town rebuilt with stone. A shining city of peace and plenty indeed. More importantly, a city of morals and goodwill. Guinevere had been the quintessential ruler, epitomising the values of kindness, humility, and service to the people. Merlin often teared up thinking about how proud of her Arthur would have been had they been given the chance to rule together.

He and Gwaine stood at Percival’s grave, both their backs bent, hair white, and skin wrinkled. The knight had passed away on this day a couple of years ago, dying peacefully of old age. His death had been particularly hard for Gwaine. The two of them had always been paired on quests back in their day and had a special bond, much like Arthur and Merlin’s. This bond had only been reinforced after Percival had heard Gwaine’s cries as when he had been tortured by the Nathair. After Percival had rescued him and brought him home, this bond had become stronger than ever. As they stood there paying their respects, Merlin reminisced about all the fun times he had had helping Gwaine and Percival steal food from the palace kitchens, much to the chef, Audrey’s chagrin. He turned to see a tear leaking out of Gwaine’s eye and pulled him into a hug.

“Percy is at peace now, Gwaine. He wouldn’t want you to cry over him.”

Gwaine held on to him, not saying a word. Merlin continued,

“Just think of all the good times you two had… I am sure he will be watching over us, along with Arthur, Gaius, Lancelot, Elyan… all of them.”

As he stood there patting Gwaine’s back, he saw a servant he knew from the palace run up to them.

“Lord Merlin, Sir Gwaine, you must come with me at once- it’s the Queen, she just collapsed during the council meeting.”

Merlin turned sharply, and Gwaine hurriedly dried his tears as the two hobbled back after the servant, wishing that their old bodies could move faster. Merlin’s heart was pounding in his chest- was this it? Had the time finally come? He didn’t need to turn to Gwaine to know that his husband was feeling the same. They finally made it to Gwen’s chambers, where she had been moved. Entering, Merlin saw the old queen lying in her bed, barely breathing. An old Leon sat at her side. Seeing them enter, Gwen turned her head and faintly whispered,

“Merlin, Gwaine… my time has come. Warn the Order.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Time to leave Camelot. Excited for the next chapter. As always, thanks to my regulars and welcome to any new readers!


	13. Goodbyes, Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the title says. Farewell, Albion.

Merlin moved closer to Gwen and sat at her bed, holding her hand.

“Gwen, my dear sweet Gwen… I knew this day was coming, but now that it is here, I don’t know what to say…”

Gwen smiled, her face grey.

“There is nothing left to say, Merlin. Our journey has run its course, and I for one am delighted to have spent almost a lifetime as your friend.”

Merlin bowed his head and as the tears flowed, he whispered,

“Me too, Gwen. Me too. We have all been very lucky to have had you in our lives.”

Leon shuffled. The former First Knight was not a man of emotions, but today he was an absolute wreck. He and Gwen had grown up together, and he knew her best. Gwaine moved over to pat his back. Merlin felt Gwen move, and looked up to see her facing the two knights.

“Leon, I can go in peace with Camelot in your hands till the election… take care of them, as you have always taken care of me.”

It had been decided that Camelot’s ruler would be elected for life by the knights and nobles. The Pendragon bloodline had ended, and this was the most logical conclusion.

Gwen looked at Gwaine and said,

“My dashing Sir Gwaine, you have a long life ahead of you… take care of our favourite Warlock! Take care of yourself, and find peace one day…”

Gwaine gave her a warm, loving smile and said,

“Anything for my dear Esmeralda.”

Merlin smiled. That was the name Gwaine had given Gwen when he had first met her in the streets of Camelot and had attempted to flirt with her. He felt Gwen’s breathing become slower and deeper. She turned to him and said,

“Merlin, don’t worry. I am not scared, nor am I sad. There are just so many people waiting for me. Hunith, Gaius and Alice, Percy, my parents, Elyan, and of course… Arthur.”

Merlin broke down on hearing all those names. So many had now gone on. One more name was about to be added to the list. Two more, since Leon was even older than Gwaine. He mustered some courage for his first friend at Camelot, stroked her head fondly and said,

“Tell the prat not to make me wait too long, will you? He better come down here soon!”

Gwen smiled. Her breaths became slower still and jagged.

“Merlin… thank you… for everything.”

Merlin felt her hand go numb in his as the Queen of Camelot breathed her last. He pressed his head to hers, kissed her on the forehead, and closed her eyes. Gwaine was right behind him and lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. The next chapter had finally begun.

It wasn’t long after Gwen’s funeral that Camelot’s new leader was elected. Lord Airidh had been the unanimous choice- after all, youth, wisdom, and duty were qualities which very rarely appeared in the same person. Merlin had considered telling the new King about the Order, but on Gwaine’s advice, did not. Leon remained their only confidant. A year or so down the line, they decided it was time to move. Kenan the druid was now eldest of the Five, and had arranged for Gwaine to live with his tribe for a few months after he left Camelot, waiting for Merlin’s ‘death’ and subsequent departure.

“Right, so this is it, then.”

Merlin and Gwaine sat in their chambers with Leon.

“Yes, Gwaine. Now remember, on drinking the potion, you will immediately enter a coma and will be dead to the world. We will take you to Avalon for a very private funeral, and Kenan will be waiting for us there.”

Gwaine cocked his head at Merlin and smirked,

“Yes, love, we have been over the plan literally every hour of every day for the past week!”

Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes. Some things never changed, and Gwaine was never going to get less cocky. Gwaine turned to Leon and nodded, winked at Merlin, and gulped down the potion. Less than a minute later, he had collapsed on the bed, and had no pulse at all.

The city bells were rung that night, and the entire city wept for the beloved ‘People’s Knight’. Merlin did not have to do much to act sad, seeing Gwaine lying there, dead in all but name, had been difficult enough. The next day, he and Leon departed with Gwaine’s body to Avalon, where they were greeted by Aithusa and the Five, as Freya emerged from the water. Merlin laid Gwaine down by the banks of the lake and muttered the right spell. Soon, Gwaine awoke with a gasp and sat up, blinking. Everyone observed with great intrigue as Gwaine’s long hair grew back up towards his head, stopping just at his shoulders. His beard returned to the old stubble it had always been, and as the wrinkles disappeared, his hair slowly turned brown, luscious, and silky. His chest grew firm again as Gwaine stretched his arms and back, feeling his bones getting stronger again. Within a few minutes, Gwaine returned to his beautiful self, not looking a day older than the day he had met Merlin and Arthur in that tavern. With a flick of his hair, Gwaine smirked at Merlin and said,

“Boy, do you look old next to me!”

Everyone laughed as Merlin slapped Gwaine on the back as they hugged.

“Well, we’d better be off now. I will see you in a few months. And Gwaine, please stay out of trouble!”

Gwaine chortled as he winked at Merlin and Leon, who headed back to Camelot. Saying goodbye was difficult, but it wasn’t for long. Till then, all he had to do was get his swordplay back in form, ride a few horses in the woods, and annoy the hell out of the strait-laced Kenan.

A few months later, it was Merlin who took the potion. He found himself waking up by the shores of Avalon, with Kenan casting the awakening spell. It wasn’t long before Merlin was young again, and it felt refreshing- truly like a new lease of life. Merlin took a deep breath and opened his eyes to find Gwaine looking right at him. He ran up to his husband and leapt into his arms, just as Gwaine pulled him into a tight kiss. They didn’t care that they were being observed by the most prudish of the Knights of Camelot Sir Leon, the even-more-prim Kenan, the rest of the Five, a very amused Aithusa, and a chuckling Freya. It had been so long since they were able to forget the world and just dissolve in each other’s arms; Merlin would hold on to this moment for a long time.

It was only after a few polite coughs from Kenan did they separate. They turned to Leon, the old knight stoically trying to hide his grief at losing the last of his oldest friends. Merlin and Gwaine pulled him into a really tight hug.

“Leon, thank you very much for everything. We really wish there could be another way, but it is now that we must part our ways.”

“You focus on your mission, old friends… I will be just fine. Airidh is a just King, and Camelot will do well under him. Go now, and farewell…”

Merlin forced back tears as the old, dutiful knight began his journey back to the castle. They were now truly alone. As Leon disappeared into the canopy, Merlin turned to Gwaine, feeling remorseful but at the same time excited for their next chapter. They first approached the water.

“Freya, we will return soon. Avalon is in your hands now. Thank you, and call for us whenever you need to.”

Freya held their hands and said,

“I am pleased that you have each other. I pray for Arthur’s return to be swift, and your wait uneventful and boring. Looks like Gwaine here has benefited a lot from his domestication!”

They laughed as the Lady of the Lake retreated beneath the waves. Merlin turned to Kenan, who spoke with a grim look upon his face.

“And so, Emrys, we part. Aithusa will take you to Gaul, where you will find safety and peace. I trust you know the language?”

“That will not be a problem, Kenan. One of the things for which I can thank my powers.”

The druid nodded.

“We have Albion under control. There is nothing to fear here, and sorcery exists in peace as it was meant to. All I can hope for is that that remains the case, and that this is our last meeting.”

Merlin knew that the druid meant well. He continued,

“We all have our rune-tokens, and they will guide us- or our successors- to you whenever we need to find you. Fly now, and be safe.”

He and the rest of the Five bowed, and Merlin and Gwaine bowed back. They had built a relationship of mutual respect and trust over the years, and would genuinely miss each other.

Gwaine grabbed Merlin’s hand and winked as they climbed onto Aithusa’s back. She had agreed to take them across the water to Gaul, though only this once- dragons were proud creatures, after all. Merlin sneaked a kiss to Gwaine as they rose and Albion turned smaller and smaller beneath them. He felt the knight wrap his arms around him from behind and lay back his head in the crook of his husband’s neck as they hurtled southeast to Gaul. To their new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have it. Just a millennium and a half to go before our favourite clotpole joins our favourite idiots-in-love.
> 
> REQUESTS OPEN- if you want Merlin and Gwaine to interact with specific historical characters/ live in specific historical cities/sites, drop those in comments! I have an interesting line up of my own, but would love to incorporate YOUR favourite kings/queens/explorers/scientists/authors/theologians/artists/composers/etc. as well.
> 
> As always, thanks to my readers!


	14. Lucille

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We skip ahead a few centuries to find our heroes in Gaul. They meet a young girl who carried a most important document.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING- violence, death.

Lucille ran through the woods, her heart beating a thousand times a minute, and very loudly too. She was on her last reserves of adrenaline as she tore through the foliage, desperately trying to evade the men who chased her. Her parents lay dead back at the camp. She remembered her mother shoving a scroll into her hands and screaming at her to run, run as if her life depended on it, because it did. Then the mace had struck her in the head and she hadn’t spoken anymore. Panting and trying not to think of that moment, Lucille ran ahead, leaping over a fallen branch. The birds sung merrily up in the canopy; what did they know of what was happening?

Just a couple of hours ago, things had been so pleasant- Lucille had been playing with her doll on the cart while their caravan tumbled through the forest trail, headed to Paris. Her mother had been singing next to her while her father spurred the horses on, gently humming along. All of a sudden, the bandits had leapt out of the shrubs and accosted them. The bloodbath had been quick and gory, and Lucille was the only girl who managed to run. She sprinted on, as fast as her little legs would let her. Deep down, Lucille knew she was doomed. No matter how fast she ran, the bandits would always be able to catch her or find her. There were just too many of them. She looked behind and they seemed to have lost her for now. Not daring to hope, she went on. Based on the sounds she heard from beyond the trees, they weren’t far behind.

The scroll was in her hands, safe and tight- for now. She was too young to understand what was in it, but she had overheard her parents whispering tensely about getting the scroll to Paris, to a Monsieur Hamel. It was a matter of urgency. She wouldn’t let the bandits get it. Lucille was about to hurl it into a thick bush while speeding away, lest the bandits not find it on her, when she felt a sharp pain on her ankle. She barely had time to look at the tree root she had tripped over as she stumbled and fell flat on her face, giving out a shriek. She opened her eyes and found herself looking at a pair of boots in front of her. Looking up, she saw that the boots belonged to a young man who looked down at her curiously. She instantly knew that he wasn’t one of the bandits- no, his eyes were kind, and he didn’t smell. Well, at least not that much.

The man reached out his arm and helped her up, giving her a bright smile.

“What’s a princess like you doing lost in the woods?”

Lucille was too lost to find the right words. She just wrapped her arms around him, hiding her face in his thigh. He let out a laugh and patted her on the back.

“There, there, no one is going to harm you! What’s the problem, my dear?”

Lucille was about to answer when she heard an angry voice yell from behind her. It was followed by a few more screeches, and that’s when she knew that they had found her. The man looked up and his smile turned to a grimace.

“Oh, so that’s what you were running from. Ah well, here I was thinking that we could finally have a peaceful walk. Get behind me, little one.”

She hurriedly ran behind him as the man drew his sword. The bandits came to a halt- there were five, no wait- six of them, all armed to the teeth with swords, daggers, and even maces.

“Give us the girl, peasant, and we will let you live!” the leader sneered through his parted lips, which revealed many a missing tooth.

The man just smirked at them and said,

“Well, gentlemen, I’m sure you can do without her. Let’s just talk this out, yes?”

The leader snorted as he darted forward, sword raised, towards Lucille’s last hope. She turned her eyes as swords clanged. A minute later, she heard a scream and a body fall to the ground. Looking back, Lucille saw the leader of the bandits on the forest floor, blood oozing out of a massive hole in his belly. The other bandits didn’t take too kindly to this and charged all together. Her saviour muttered,

“Well, I was hoping you would do that. Haven’t had a good brawl in a long time, and you lot seem like you need a lesson in manners.”

He took them all on at once, yet seemed to overpower the lot of them. Just when he had defeated the last bandit standing, ten more came crashing through the bushes, armed and dangerous. Lucille wailed with fright, but to her bewilderment, the man let out a laugh.

“Oh good, there’s more!”

Lucille darted her eyes desperately at the approaching throng. Suddenly, she heard a movement and looking to her right, saw another thin man with rather big ears crouching in the shrubbery. He noticed her looking at him, smiled, and put his finger to his lips. She looked on, puzzled, as the man crept closer to the ensuing action. Lucille was taken aback as his eyes flashed gold, and there, out of nowhere, a giant branch came crashing down on the charging bandits. All were crushed by its weight and didn’t move again. Her saviour, the man with the sword, just let out a frustrated groan.

“Merls, why on earth did you do that? I wanted to get some practice and teach those swines a lesson!”

The big eared man crept out of the bushes and joined them. Gwaine- so _that_ was his name- smirked and winked at her and swished his hair to Merlin.

“Well, you don’t have to be a killjoy about it, I’m going to be perfectly-”

Lucille screamed as Gwaine was hit by an arrow, right in the chest. He fell to the ground with a thud.

“GWAINE!!” Merlin shrieked, sounding more annoyed than shocked or aggrieved. He turned his head to find the bandit who had fired the shot, flashed his eyes golden at him, and as the bandit crumbled, ran to Gwaine, who was spitting out blood. Merlin pulled out the arrow, and Gwaine took a deep breath and stood up. Lucille blinked with wonder as the arrow wound disappeared and the blood dried away immediately. Merlin gave Gwaine a little whack over the head and said,

“Gwaine, how many times must I tell you to not get into any trouble?! Now look what you did, you went and got yourself shot!”

Gwaine gave Merlin a smug smile and said,

“Well, and I’m standing here good as new, aren’t I, princess?”

He turned to wink at her. Lucille giggled and ran forward to him. Gwaine swept her up in his arms and said,

“You are going to be safe and well, child, we will make sure of that! Now, what is your name, and what are you doing here in the woods?”

Lucille just remembered what had happened. Now that she finally could afford to cry, emotions overtook her and she dissolved into a sobbing mess onto Gwaine’s shoulder. All she could think of was her parents lying dead along with the rest of the caravan. Gwaine patted her head and rubbed her back, not saying anything, but just comforting her by holding her tightly and safely. Merlin looked on sympathetically.

It was some time before Lucille finally calmed down. They had made it back to Merlin and Gwaine’s cottage in the middle of the woods. Merlin had put some stew on and had personally fed her. Lucille looked around the room and saw a variety of books and little glass bottles and jars all over the place.

“Are you both angels?”

Merlin smiled warmly.

“No, Lucille, nothing quite as exciting. I am a warlock and Gwaine here is- or rather was- a knight.”

“Then how did Ga-wain get well so quickly?” She was barely able to pronounce her rescuer’s name, and he had been amused to hear her version of it.

“The thing is, Lucille, the two of us are immortal, you see? We cannot die unless our work here is done.”

Lucille gazed at the two men with curiosity and adulation.

“What is your work here?”

“I’m afraid we cannot say, Lucille. You will have to keep us a secret. You can never tell anyone you saw us here.”

Lucille jumped up.

“But I have no one to tell! I can just stay here with you, and we can keep this secret together!”

Gwaine grinned at her, but there was a flash of hurt in his eyes.

“If only that were possible, princess. I’m afraid we cannot keep you with us.”

“But… But I have no one to go to! You are the only people I knew apart from my parents, and my parents are…”

Lucille started crying again. Gwaine stepped forward and hugged her again.

“Tell you what, you are welcome to stay with us for as long as you like till we find you a new home, okay?”

Lucille looked up into his warm, brown eyes. There was just so much love and comfort in them. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and lay back into bed. It wasn’t long before sleep claimed her.

Merlin had been watching Gwaine and the girl for a while. It had been warmed his heart to spend time with someone so innocent and young. In the seven lifetimes he and Gwaine had had, there were far too few children they could interact with for obvious reasons- the number one rule they had laid down when arriving in Gaul was no attachments of any kind. And now, just when they were getting used to it, fate sent them in the path of this precious child fleeing the same death that had claimed her parents. Merlin shook his head and stepped out of the cottage with Gwaine.

“You do know we will have to let her go, right?”

Gwaine stared at the full moon through the tall pines around the clearing.

“Yes… eventually.”

He stood there, counting the stars, as he often did. Merlin smiled at the back of his beloved’s head and stepped back inside. Gwaine was a loving, surprisingly sensitive man who wanted to help and heal as many creatures he could find, and anchored Merlin to the world, serving as a lens through which Merlin could view the beauty of life and the living. Merlin settled down in his chair by the fireplace and noticed a piece of paper lying next to Lucille’s clothes (he had conjured up a fresh set for her). He picked up the scroll and opened it up, reading the minute handwriting.

As he read on, Merlin grew more and more intrigued with it. Could this be… but no, that was impossible! How on earth could… but yes, that was most certainly the case! The information laid out in the scroll simply could not be wrong. Merlin shot up from his chair, excited and alarmed at the same time. He gazed at the sleeping figure of young Lucille. It was the grand design of fate to have sent her their way, after all. Such an important message carried by one so small, fragile, and… well, mortal. Merlin beamed at her and rushed out the door.

“Gwaine, come here! You have to see this, it is nothing short of a miracle!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, now WHAT could be on that scroll? Any guesses, readers?
> 
> As always, thanks to you all!


	15. Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We go to Paris and learn more about the scroll. Then on to Reims, where we meet out first historical character- Guillaume de Machaut   
> 1300-1377), composer and poet extraordinaire. Also, we find out more about the scroll.

“…and then I removed my helmet, only to be met with cheers from the crown and a nasty scowl from the King. Right after I had saved his son, and not for the first time too! Luckily, he let me go my way, but I was banished from Camelot forever. Merlin here tried to change that, and almost ran away with me, but I told him to stay back, even though it hurt me most grievously to do so.”

“But then how did you and Merlin meet again, Ga-wain?”

Gwaine smirked as the three of them rode through the woods. Merlin smiled as he thought of how he and Gwaine had first met, all those centuries ago. Lucille looked back and up at Gwaine with curiosity and wonder as she sat right in front of him on his horse.

“Well, princess, that’s a story for another time! We are almost at Paris now, and we don’t want to miss Monsieur Hamel now, do we?”

“But you must tell me what happened!”

Gwaine barked out a laugh and said,

“I promise to, tonight right when I tuck you into bed. I will say that it involves Arthur- that great big princess- getting into further trouble and Merlin here running to me, begging me to save their hide once again!”

Merlin flushed.

“I most definitely did not beg! Lucille, don’t listen to all Gwaine says, his stories have always been the tiniest bit removed from reality!”

He ducked as Gwaine threw an apple at his head. To avoid his husband’s retort, Merlin blurted out,

“Race you two to Paris? Last one to arrive at the gates is Wilderroen dung!”

Saying that, he sped off on his horse, only to be overtaken by the more athletic Gwaine withing a few minutes, Lucille pulling her tongue at him as they whooshed by. Merlin grinned, happy with how life was treating them.

Soon, the trio was walking about the bustling streets of Paris. They had left their horses outside the inn. Merlin had transported them back to their cottage in the woods, not wanting to lug them about the narrow streets. Lucille was perched upon Gwaine’s shoulders, excited to be in the city her parents had told her so much about. After navigating the labyrinth of streets and lanes, they finally arrived at the address of Monsieur Hamel written on the scroll. Their knock on the door was answered by an ageing, withered man who looked like he hadn’t eaten in a week or so.

“Yes? To whom do I owe the pleasure?”

Merlin produced the scroll and said,

“We were hoping you could help us with this.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed as he examined the scroll. His head suddenly jerked upwards and he snapped,

“Where did you get this? Guiscard and Cateline were supposed to deliver this to me personally!”

Lucille leapt down from Gwaine’s shoulders and said eyes watering up,

“Mum and Dad died on the way, and gave this to me. Merlin and Ga-wain saved me from the bandits and we came to show this to you.”

Hamel’s face softened as he gasped on hearing the news. He obviously knew Lucille’s parents quite well.

“Oh… oh my dear, I am so sorry to hear that. Your parents were good friends of mine, and I…” he looked up at Merlin and Gwaine and said,

“Thank you, gentlemen, you can leave now. I assure you the girl is quite safe with me.”

Merlin shook his head, saying,

“I think not, Monsieur. I am sure we will find each other quite useful after all.” He flashed his eyes gold, to which Hamel let out another gasp and said,

“Well, come on in! It is no longer safe to do that sort of thing out in the streets, and any sorcerer is a friend of Gustave Hamel’s!”

Hamel’s apartment was impeccably clean and well-maintained for being in such a sketchy part of town. Merlin surmised that he obviously practiced some magic himself- a rare find indeed, since it had not taken long after their departure from Camelot for magic to gradually die out and become a thing of legend. The old man shuffled in with some wine, which Gwaine welcomed.

Merlin politely refused and looking dead into his eyes, said,

“Monsieur Hamel, I am Emrys. _The_ Emrys, Lord of the Druids, most powerful warlock to live, and all that. The scroll proves that you know of me, and perhaps of the Order of the Dragon as well. I, however, do not know you; nor do I know how this scroll came about in the possession of young Lucille’s parents, and what they were doing delivering it to you. You have some explaining to do.”

Merlin could see that Hamel wasn’t a bad person, but wanted to get to the bottom of the scroll’s secrets as fast as possible- much depended on it. The old man gulped and took his seat.

“Emrys, you honour me with your presence, and you, Sir Gwaine. You were right on all counts, Emrys, except one- I not only know of the Order, I am part of it. I am the Third of the current Five, and head of our operations in most of Western Europe.”

“How are we to know that is true?”

Hamel smiled and drew a token from his pocket. Merlin recognised the runes immediately- this had been one of the five original tokens he had enchanted and handed to the elders at the banks of Avalon an age ago. He nodded and asked Hamel to continue.

“Lord Ainsley, Leader of the Five, personally entrusted me to deliver this to you, knowing that you were still in France. He sent it from England with his men, who entrusted it to Lucille’s parents, who had just been initiated two years ago, yet were exemplary human beings and most trustworthy. I am pretty sure you must have read the scroll by now, and know how pressing its directives are.”

Merlin nodded. Oh yes, he knew how pressing it was to find the Diamair, the key to all knowledge. A week ago, when he had discovered in the scroll that the Diamair was still around, he had become giddy with excitement. Gwaine was probably even happier than he was. For the knight, the Diamair wasn’t just another clue towards what lay ahead for them; she was the creature who had saved and nursed him when he had been held captive by Morgana in Ismere. He had often considered heading back, and had even done so once while he and Merlin were still in Camelot, trying to find the creature and thank her properly for her kindness; unfortunately, all trace of her had vanished.

Hamel continued,

“I suggest you set out today. The scroll isn’t a map; just reports collected by the Order based on very credible sources about where the Diamair may be hiding.”

Gwaine frowned and said, “Aren’t you joining us, then?”

Hamel looked at him wistfully.

“Sir Gwaine, I am old and frail, and fear that my time is soon upon me. All I can do is accompany you to Reims, where my successor awaits us. With Emrys’ blessing, I can relinquish my duties there. My purpose here has long been served, and I await the peace of Avalon.”

Merlin clasped the old man’s hand and said,

“That will be quite alright, Monsieur. Spend the rest of your days in peace, knowing that eternal rest awaits you on the other side.”

“Thank you very much, Emrys, for the honour.”

Lucille had been observing the scene play out from her corner in the room. She leapt up and said,

“You are taking me with you, aren’t you, Ga-wain and Merlin?”

Merlin looked into the child’s anxious eyes, and looked at Gwaine, who was looking at the floor in resignation, knowing that the moment of their parting had come. Something clicked inside Merlin. Even though he and Gwaine had spent barely a week with Lucille, there was just something about her that he couldn’t quite place. Going against his mind screaming at him not to say what he was about to, Merlin quipped,

“Of course we are! Did you think we were going to leave you in Paris? Come now, we have another day’s journey ahead of us!”

Gwaine and Lucille both knocked him over as they crashed into his arms, laughing.

And so, the four of them set out to nearby Reims. The day’s journey was quite fun, with Gwaine and Lucille playing at the back of Hamel’s cart, while the old man sat with Merlin up front, spurring his horses on. Merlin had been fascinated to learn more about Hamel’s life. The man had been brought up in an orphanage and had been recruited at quite a young age by the Order, and had devoted his entire life in its service, going on various missions and quelling the odd sorcerer or two every four or five years- even though magic had all but vanished from the realm and had to be practised in secret once again, there always was the odd sorcerer who needed to be reminded of the fact that revealing magic to everyday folk wasn’t the best idea. Moreover, Hamel himself had been fascinated by learning about his and Gwaine’s lives over the last two-fifty years, since they had last contacted the Five. He counted himself extremely fortunate to be one of the few members who actually got to meet Emrys in their lifetime.

They rolled into Reims just as the sun set. The night was spent in a local tavern (Gwaine had gained impressive self-control when it came to taverns, and especially because of Lucille’s presence, was particularly well-behaved today). The next morning, Merlin woke up to the sound of Hamel knocking at the door, urging them to come out as fast as possible.

“You don’t want to miss this, believe me! We need to get to the cathedral, now!”

Reims cathedral was impressive. It towered over the rest of the city and was thronged every day for services. Little Lucille felt like an ant before the intricately carved buttresses and statues, and stayed close to Gwaine as they settled down at Hamel’s insistence. After the Bishop preached at the pulpit for what seemed like forever, Merlin saw a small group of cloaked men enter and stand facing the congregation, led by a tall, thin man with grey hair. He raised his hands, and as they fell, the group began singing- all together, on the words _Kyrie Eleison_. Merlin was completely taken by surprise as the group sang lines weaving in and out, accenting certain syllables and following the grey-haired man’s directives. He turned to see Lucille and Gwaine looking just as enchanted as he was by this many-voiced music, the likes of which he had never heard before. He let the voices lead him into peace and intrigue, and after a few minutes the singers fell silent as one of them continued with plainchant. So, _this_ was what Hamel was so insistent about. Merlin sighed with thrill as the choir picked up their lines again and began on _Gloria_. The entire service, with the chant, sermons, and choral passages, lasted for a couple of hours before the congregation eventually dispersed. Merlin tapped Hamel’s shoulder and asked him excitably,

“Who was that, and what was this wondrous music? I had heard people singing together, of course, but never on a scale as grand as this!”

Hamel beamed with pride.

“That, my dear Emrys, is the man who will be replacing me; my protégé and dear friend, Guillaume de Machaut- one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable men alive today.”

With that, they rose and approached the choir as Machaut was leading them back inside the cavernous passages of the cathedral.

“Guillaume!” called out Hamel.

The thin man turned and looked owlishly at their company.

“Gustave! How pleasant to find you in Reims! Who are your friends?”

Hamel merely smiled and gave Machaut a deliberate nod, to which the greying choir director turned pale. He quickly ushered the last of the choir out before approaching them.

“Emrys, I presume? And Sir Gwaine?”

Merlin smiled at him.

“Monsieur Machaut, your music was absolutely divine; you must tell me all about it on our journey!”

“Pardon me, Emrys, but what journey might you be referring to?”

Hamel interjected,

“Guillaume, the time is here. You shall take my place today, and assist Emrys on his current quest, the one I told you about a few months ago.”

Machaut looked flustered as he babbled out a few syllables before bowing deeply and regaining his stoic composure.

“It shall be my absolute pleasure to help you find the Diamair, Emrys.”

Merlin grinned. The key to all knowledge would soon be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely loved the Diamair (S5E1-2) and how she saved Gwaine. Had to include her here.
> 
> Machaut was a tremendously influential composer- known more as a poet in his day, he was extremely well-educated and his compositions and poems were studied by contemporaries and posterity. He wrote the first complete polyphonic setting of the Mass Ordinary- his Messe de Nostre Dame (composed between 1350-1365 and featured here).   
> Here's a link to the piece! https://youtu.be/1gEV42RKf6E  
> (Listen with headphones)
> 
> As always, thanks to all readers!


	16. Ben Nevis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We journey to the Diamair.

They trudged up the mountain, the wind trying to knock them off their feet with every gush. Merlin would have used magic, but the chance of a random shepherd- or anyone from the nearby town catching two young men, one old one, and a small girl floating through the air would be rather precarious and would give away the location of the Diamair. Merlin turned to look down towards the loch and felt dizzy. He had flown on a dragon quite a few times, but this was different. Here it was just him walking up a treacherous mountain pass, and even though he was immortal, he didn’t want to know what would happen if he lost his footing.

“Come now Merls, don’t look down and don’t linger!”

Gwaine called out to him from ahead. Lucille was perched onto his back, buried in furs as they climbed.

“Yes Gwaine, just admiring the view!”

“Look at me instead, the view is so much better!”

Merlin laughed, only to be shushed by a very nervous Guillaume de Machaut. The poet-composer had accompanied them all the way from France as they climbed Ben Nevis, the highest peak in all Britain.

“Emrys, we must be silent! No bird nor beast should know about the Diamair, especially humans. The Order is sparse up here, and should anything happen…”

Merlin looked apologetic and nodded his understanding. He had been extremely grateful for the old Frenchman’s company. Machaut had been with them for a few months now- they had deciphered the message on the scroll together, determining the precise location of the Diamair. Of course, there had been hiccups- a few extra documents had to be procured from their not-so-willing owners; mostly sorcerers in hiding who each owned bits and pieces of the puzzle. With the help of the Order, all the pieces had been obtained.

Merlin particularly appreciated Machaut’s help as he knew that it was practically impossible for the ageing composer to abandon his duties at the cathedral back in Reims. When they had crossed over into Albion, or England as it had come to be known, they had met with Lord Ainsley, Leader of the Five. Ainsley himself couldn’t make it to Ben Nevis because of his age, but Machaut had insisted on accompanying, helping in any way he could. He had enough knowledge about the place thanks to his penchant for, well, acquiring knowledge about all places and peoples known to mankind (in addition to literature and music, of course). Here he was, well into his sixties, climbing a tall, treacherous mountain and doing all he could to help the Lord of the Druids, the man he believed in.

It wasn’t long before they reached the summit. While it was spring and most of the snow had melted, the mountaintop was not hospitable. Merlin patted the edgy Lucille on her head as she leapt off Gwaine’s back yet clung to him. He looked up at Gwaine, who was beautiful as always, face radiating in the shining sun. Machaut was resting on a nearby boulder, catching his breath. Merlin could feel the magic around the place. This was an ancient place, of great importance to magic, which was probably why the Diamair had chosen to hide here. Soon, Machaut rose, and nodded to Merlin. Merlin scrambled over to a rock the old man was pointing to, right at the top of the mountain.

“Gwaine, hold on to Lucille and stay a few feet back- this could get powerful!”

He turned to see the knight shield the girl with his body and crouch behind a boulder. Turning to Machaut, Merlin prepared himself. The two men flashed their eyes gold and began chanting the required spell. Clouds gathered- thick, black clouds which made the skies tremble. Lightning flashed, and rain pelted the mountaintop as the men continued chanting. It wasn’t long before a singular bolt of lightning descended and hit the rock he and Machaut had singled out, knocking both men to their feet. Merlin opened his eyes to find an excitable Lucille staring right at him.

“Look, Merlin! Look what you did! There is a way down!”

Blinking, Merlin sat up to see Gwaine helping up the shaken Machaut. It was only then that he realised that the place formerly occupied by their marked rock was now a large hole into the mountain, equipped with a rocky, natural staircase leading them into the belly of the beast. Merlin let out a laugh- it had worked, and all the scrolls were right! They began their descent, having tied themselves to each other at the waist to avoid being separated or falling into the unknown depths below. Just as Gwaine, the last of the line, entered the hole, the mountain shuddered and the hole closed up. Merlin lit up a torch and said,

“Well, only one way to go!”

After fifteen minutes of descent, they finally reached what seemed to be the floor, inside the mountain. A series of caverns and tunnels awaited them. Far ahead, Merlin heard a noise which sounded vaguely familiar. He turned to saw Gwaine frowning at him, trying to figure out the source of the noise. It wasn’t until the noise grew louder and its maker grew closer that Merlin realised, to his horror, what was crawling towards them through the tunnel- Wilddeoren.

“Well, time to run!”

Gwaine rolled his eyes.

“Merlin, you are a warlock, for crying out loud! Can’t you just magic them away?”

“Oh… um yes, of course!” Merlin felt sheepish as he caused the tunnel to be blocked by rubble and stones from the mountain, blocking off the swarm of Wilddeoren just in time.

Gwaine crouched down and exclaimed,

“Look, there are some Gaia berries down here! How they grew in this dark and dry cavern, I cannot say!”

“It is the magic of this place that has commanded their presence, Sir Gwaine,” said Machaut. “We have to go down these tunnels anyway; let us guise our scent with them!”

It took Merlin and Machaut about two hours to navigate through the caverns. There were a couple of times where a stray Wilddeoren almost found them, but Merlin was quick enough to shield their scent, not wanting to kill living creatures in what seemed to be a holy magical place. Soon, the tunnel opened into a wide cave. Merlin knew this was it. He turned to his friends and said,

“Well, I guess we just wait!”

As if on cue, they heard a voice ring out of the shadows.

“You will never have to wait to meet me, Emrys. Welcome to my new abode!”

Out stepped the Diamair- tall, graceful, and sparkling all over. She approached the company with a smile on her face, greeting her old friends. Merlin smiled. Before he knew it, young Lucille hurtled forward and crashed into the Diamair.

“An angel! An angel! Thank you so much for taking me to her, Merlin and Ga-wain!”

The startled Diamair giggled as her cheeks changed their glow- was she blushing? Putting an arm around Lucille, she addressed each of them, finally stopping at Gwaine, who was concentrating heavily on the floor.

“We meet again, Sir Gwaine! I have not forgotten how kind we were to one another last we met, and I thank you for your visit.”

Gwaine slowly looked up into her eyes and mumbled,

“Well, you could have made it easier, yes? Took us a while to find you! Besides, these tunnels aren’t unlike those under Ismere- what is it with you and dark, winding caverns?”

The entire cave erupted with laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one this time- I've been really busy, and will have to restrict myself to short chapters every few days. At least for now. But yes, I'm as excited to write as you are to read what the Diamair has to reveal! Have planned something fascinating for all you loyal readers. Thanks as always for reading and chiming in!


	17. Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their conversation with the Diamair. Emotion at the end.

They settled onto the rocks, exhausted from their day of climbing mountains, descending treacherous, hidden stairs into a mountain, avoiding Wildeorren, navigating tunnels, and listening to Gwaine babble for most of it. Even Lucille seemed to have tired of her dear Ga-wain’s endless chatter, and decided to take a nap. Merlin made her comfortable with his magic before turning to the Diamair.

“Well, one thing I’m sure of is that none of this is a coincidence. You wanted to see us. You wanted us to find that scroll. Why?”

The Diamair smiled and said,

“You are absolutely right, Emrys! After we parted ways at Ismere all those years ago, I fled the place, not keen to be found by Morgana. I went even farther north till I found this place and defended it with magic. And Wildeorren too, of course.”

She sighed and looked down, concern clear across her face.

“For me it was easy to be alone all these years. I spurn company, and welcome it rarely and briefly. For the two of you to have been alone for more than 700 years must have been painful, to say the least.”

Merlin scoffed. On the contrary, the last few centuries had been peaceful, quiet, and a time of much-needed rest- after all, he had had enough adventures in his first quarter-century on Earth. He and Gwaine had missed Camelot, Albion, and all their friends, but had found their own rhythm in life. They had each other, and that was all they needed to get by.

The Diamair continued,

“I have brought you all here for a reason. You and Sir Gwaine, you need to know that your time on Earth isn’t nearly over. Despite being the Key to all Knowledge, I cannot say how long till King Arthur returns and your destiny is finally completed. I can say, however, that the time till then is going to be more turbulent. There will be moments of peace, yes, but they will be immersed in times of conflict and struggle.”

She turned to the old Machaut.

“Monsieur, convey to your Order this- the time to be ever more vigilant has arrived. Look for enemies outside, and with time, even within; for they will never cease their attempts to infiltrate your organisation.”

The old man nodded, looking grim, yet determined as ever.

“Sir Gwaine, never forget who you are. You are Strength. Emrys is magic. Magic is vulnerable without his Strength. Going ahead, there will be times when all seems lost for the two of you. For decades you may be parted, but never forget to find your own paths back together.”

Merlin turned to Gwaine to find him looking just as confused as he himself was. He couldn’t imagine being apart from Gwaine for perhaps more than a few days for errands. The Diamair seemed to notice their disbelief, and coughed.

“My words may seem impossible now, but it is not for naught that I use them.”

Gwaine leapt to his feet.

“Look here, if you think for just one moment that Merlin and I would ever-”

“No, Sir Gwaine, I don’t think you and Emrys will be separated of your own accord. I hope and pray that no such calamity happens, but if it does… well, use your love to find your way back.”

Gwaine was about to retort, but Merlin latched a hand onto his wrist, halting him. The Diamair paused for a moment to survey her audience, and continued.

“Not all that I have to say is disheartening. There will be enemies ahead, yes, but there will also be friends.” She paused, smiled at them, and chirped,

“Not just allies, but real friends. People you can trust with your lives and people who will love you, not just respect you from afar. People who will look to you for guidance, love, and company. Well, you have one in your presence right now!”

She pointed to Machaut and to the sleeping Lucille. Merlin tried his best, but he could not muster a smile at her words. There was something nasty stirring within him, something which had been festering for a few days now. He tried to get up, turned his head to Lucille, and to Gwaine, and then back to Lucille, only to have the room spin. He heard someone say his name, distorted and distant. Gwaine’s concerned face was the last thing he saw as he collapsed into Gwaine’s open arms.

A few minutes later, Merlin awoke to see his husband’s brown eyes peering into his, smiling warmly at him. He sat up, raising a hand to his head.

“What… why did I just pass out?”

All of a sudden, Lucille launched into him out of nowhere.

“What happened, Merlin? Why did you fall? I saw Ga-wain catch you, but are you sick?”

Too stunned for words, Merlin patted her head, blinking rapidly at the room till Gwaine eventually pried her off, promising her that Merlin would be better if he got more air. It was at that moment that Merlin realised why he had been feeling uneasy for the last few days. Lucille. She was with them now, but for how long? Seventy more years? Eighty at most? That was nothing for him and Gwaine, having spent more than seven hundred on Earth themselves. The Diamair’s words had reinforced this feeling. He looked to see her gazing at him, having understood his trepidations. She just put a finger to her lips, pointing her eyes at Lucille, who was now occupied with messing up Gwaine’s hair, causing the knight to turn ever-so-slightly pink. Merlin heard her voice in his head,

“Lucille is special, Emrys. She has been touched by Avalon. She will be with you as long as she chooses.”

Merlin blinked. Did he hear that right? Would that adorable, orphaned girl who had no one to turn to be allowed to stay with him and Gwaine? He was about to yell out in jubilation, till the Diamair frowned and continued telepathically,

“Only as long as she chooses, Emrys. Remember that. There is nothing you can do to keep her with you any longer than that; Avalon will take her when she calls for it.”

Merlin gulped and nodded his assent. Well, at least he and Gwaine would have Lucille for a considerable time longer than they had initially imagined, if not forever. He turned back to Gwaine and Lucille, now playing horses. The sight warmed his heart. He felt a tap at his shoulder.

“I take it then, that you are keeping the girl, Emrys?” It was Machaut. The canny old man seemed to have understood the gist of what the Diamair had telepathically conveyed to Merlin.

“Yes Monsieur,” whispered Merlin with glee, “though do not tell Gwaine and Lucille that yet. I will tell them in my own way.”

Machaut beamed at him, doing his best to prevent giving the surprise away. The Diamair interrupted them from their merry stupor.

“And now, dear friends, it seems that our time is up. I am afraid that this shall be our final goodbye, for I intend to return to Avalon myself. Too long have I hidden in the caverns of men. But know that I shall be watching over you from there, and that you have my gratitude.”

Merlin bowed.

“It is we who are grateful to you; what you have told us today is helpful beyond comprehension. Go in peace, and find eternal rest in the waters of Avalon.”

He held Lucille’s hand, and with Machaut, walked out of the cavern, casting one last look at the magical creature to whom he owed so much. Gwaine lingered for a moment, saying his own goodbye to the Diamair, to whom he owed his life. He was uncharacteristically quiet on their way out of the tunnels, and Merlin knew him well enough to not prompt conversation immediately. Instead, he focussed on the excited Lucille, who was glad to have met the funny little creature back in the cavern.

The sun had set by the time they surfaced, this time at the foot of Ben Nevis. As they made their way through the forest outside, Merlin looked behind. Lucille was back with Gwaine now, both helping the elderly Machaut along the path. Merlin couldn’t help but grin at them.

“What are you laughing at, love?” smirked Gwaine. Merlin sniggered as he exclaimed,

“Oh, nothing much. Just that thing up there!”

Saying that, Merlin flashed his eyes gold. All of a sudden, there were three figures made entirely out of glittering golden light prancing around their heads- two men and a girl. One of the men had long hair and a beard while the other had abnormally big ears. The girl excitably leapt around them. Merlin couldn’t help but laugh on seeing Gwaine and Lucille gape like goldfish as the men grew physically older and bent, both growing long white beards. Meanwhile, the girl grew older too, turning into a radiant young woman and then wrinkling up herself. With a flash, all three were back to their young, energetic selves again. This went on and on and on for a few minutes, making Lucille grow rabid with excitement, not completely comprehending much beyond the fact that she would be staying with Gwaine and Merlin for now. Gwaine, on the other hand, had tears in his eyes as he gasped little breaths of elation and lunged forward to wrap his arms around Merlin. Merlin guffawed, feeling the tears streaming from his eyes too as he tightened his grip over Gwaine.

“She’s ours, Gwaine, for longer than you or I ever considered,” he whispered into his husband’s ear, “but not forever, only for as long as she wishes to remain… just know that, Gwaine!”

Merlin let out a sigh as Gwaine stepped back. Brown eyes met blue ones again and Gwaine whispered, ever so softly, “She is ours for now, and for a good while to come. And she will never leave us, I am sure of it. She is ours, Merlin!”

With that, Merlin closed his eyes as Gwaine swooped in for a kiss. All he felt was ecstasy, and Merlin finally let go of that nagging voice at the back of his mind which kept reminding him of the Diamair’s many warnings. For now, he could let his guard down and relish the man he loved and the girl they had come to love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay; work doesn't let go. Again, I will try to update as regularly as possible, but bear with me as updates will be slow for the next few weeks. I assure you I have no plans of abandoning this.
> 
> As a preview of coming attractions, we will head back to France in a bit. Then we follow our friends through a couple more centuries. How long will Lucille stay with them? Will she leave of her own accord, or not? Well, time will tell! 
> 
> Thanks as always to my readers. Kudos and comments and any other efforts to get this work out to people much appreciated!


	18. 18. Growing up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our trio lives in peace for a few years- except for a few serious discussions, of course. Also, a new character with a new warning right at the end.

The next few centuries were markedly different from the last few. While Merlin had absolutely nothing to complain about his life with Gwaine up to this point, the addition of little Lucille to their family- well, you could call it a family with Aithusa included- had done wonders for both him and Gwaine. Rather than spending their days lounging about admiring each other’s beauty (inner and outer), Merlin and Gwaine felt a new sense of purpose. After their adventure at Ben Nevis, they returned to their little forest cottage in France. Each morning, Merlin would leap out of bed and cook the most delicious breakfast for Gwaine, Lucille, and himself, while the knight helped out in the house, doing all kinds of chores with Lucille. After Lucille’s daily lessons with Merlin, they would proceed for their ritual walk in the woods, with Merlin being excited to share his and Gwaine’s favourite spots in the deepest, most remote nooks and crannies of the forest with the curious girl. After picnicking and Gwaine and Lucille attempting to prank Merlin every single day, they would return home and let Lucille have a nap while Merlin learnt the art of the sword from Gwaine and taught him basic spells. Both had agreed that it was essential that they learn other skills to defend themselves, especially with the Diamair’s warnings still ringing clear in their minds. Evenings were spent with another walk in the woods or a meeting with Aithusa. Merlin always chuckled when he thought of Lucille’s first meeting with the dragon, when she had succeeded in petrifying the poor creature by running to her and hugging her leg before bombarding her with a series of questions, the answers to which would always yield to even more queries. Oh yes, she was really taking to Gwaine on that count.

At times they would ride to Paris for tea with the now retired Monsieur Hamel and to see the cathedral of Notre Dame. Every few months or so, they would visit Reims to call on Monsieur Machaut, ever amiable, who would spoil Lucille with gifts each time and send her off to play while he discussed the Order’s latest findings with Merlin and Gwaine. Machaut once overheard Lucille singing to herself and insisted that she join his choir for at least a few months, a prospect which made the girl giddy with joy. It had been hard leaving her behind in Reims, but Machaut made sure they didn’t linger. When they visited a few weeks later, Merlin was stupefied on hearing Lucille sing a part in one of Machaut’s motets- she certainly was a little prodigy! Hearing her sing was one of those rare moments when Gwaine shut up completely, unable to speak with bewilderment, pride, and joy. Merlin smiled to himself. As close he and Lucille had become over the last few years, she shared a unique bond with Gwaine. With the reckless, gallant, dashing dipsomaniac whom at one point he could never have imagined being comfortable around children.

They soon moved permanently to Reims. The public story, told to everyone they met except Machaut of course, was that Gwaine was a knight for the French army, but being injured, had to retire from the front and couldn’t fight the invading Englishmen any more. After his wife’s death, he had moved to Reims with his young daughter and brother (Merlin grew out his hair and a beard to bear passable resemblance to Gwaine). They got a cosy apartment near the cathedral, and were able to mingle with the townspeople with ease- after all, Merlin and Gwaine had more than eight lifetimes’ worth of experience moving and settling in new places. Reims was a beautiful city, and it felt good to be around people after living in the woods or in villages for most of the past eight hundred years. Merlin especially enjoyed his new official job with Machaut, learning how to read and write music along the way.

The years flew by and Lucille grew older. She was a young woman before they knew it. Merlin didn’t know why, but the girl never actively sought anyone else’s company. She had friends, but she didn’t rely on them the way Merlin had relied on Arthur, Gwen, and Lancelot. He and Gwaine had explained her blessing to her when she turned eighteen, how she would be with them as long as she wanted. The girl had taken this big reveal extremely maturely. Having an eight-hundred-year-old couple raise her and regularly use magic within the house probably helped her take her gift into her stride. Merlin felt a pang of grief every time they went for their weekly visit to the market. He had noticed the young men of Reims eyeing her with hope and perhaps even adulation, but she had turned down all their advances kindly, but quite determinedly. Gwaine threatening them if they got too close didn’t help either.

“You are smothering her, Gwaine! She needs people she can love- people other than us!”

“To what end, Merlin? You and I both know that nothing is going to come out of it, nothing good at least!”

Merlin shook his head, exasperated. Lucille was out for the day and it was just him and Gwaine at home.

“She needs to interact with human beings. All she has is us and Aithusa, and ever since Machaut died, she has hardly spoken a word to anyone else unless absolutely necessary!”

Gwaine walked up to him and clasped his shoulders.

“Merlin, as fun as our lives have been, I miss our friends. Percy, Elyan, Leon, Lancelot, Gwen, Alice, even the old Prat. I miss Gaius and Hunith even more. I’m sure you feel the same way. I don’t want our little girl to have to face that sorrow in her life, ever!”

Merlin rolled his eyes. Gwaine had a point, he had to admit- he did miss the people who had always been there for him. But… but this was different.

“That’s not fair, Gwaine! We were grown men when we met them. Lucille is barely an adult! I’m worried about her development as a human being if she doesn’t get the social interaction she needs!”

Gwaine let go and turned his back, clawing at his hair. He spun around; eyebrows raised- frustrated but not upset. Merlin had often dealt with a frustrated Gwaine. They loved and trusted each other way too much to ever get angry beyond a point at each other; yet they did have their fair share of heated arguments, as any couple does. Merlin looked imploringly at Gwaine, who was about to make his retort. Just then, Lucille burst through the door, the half-amused, half-seething expression on her face telling Merlin that she had overheard quite a lot of their conversation. Merlin turned a bright shade of pink, while Gwaine sheepishly opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish.

“Merlin, Ga-wain, this discussion ought to have involved me, I believe!” The tension built up in the room evaporated instantaneously at her calm voice. Merlin still loved how she refused to call Gwaine anything but the adorable mispronunciation she had come up with when she had first met them.

“Lucille, of course we were going to talk to you about this, but…” Merlin paused, unable to come up with an excuse.

“…But there are certain things Big-ears and I have to discuss between us,” said Gwaine, winking at his mention of Merlin. Merlin had no choice but to let out a giggle- Gwaine calling him Big-ears or any other misnomer always warmed him up even after all these years. Lucille raised her eyebrow in a manner scarily similar to Gaius- apparently that was one of the things Gwaine had taught her to do to get Merlin to do something for her.

“Yes, but we have been over this already. I value my independence and do not need anyone but you two. Oh, and Aithusa too, of course- speaking of her, could we go visit her outside town later today? It really has been quite a while!”

“Yes, of course, Lucille- I have been thinking of her as well. How about we leave right after dinner?” The words had left his mouth before he realised what Lucille had just done. Merlin frowned sternly.

“Now just wait a minute, young lady! We aren’t done yet, so don’t even think of using Aithusa’s name to weasel out of this!”

Lucille rolled her eyes and muttered,

“I am an adult, Merlin, I know what I want!”

Merlin couldn’t help but feel old. Oddly enough, he and Gwaine had never thought of themselves as growing old till Lucille had finally hit the growth spurt and become a teenager. Now that she was a young woman, they really did feel age creeping up to them.

“No, Lucille, you need friends in your life! We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for our friends, and even though we are immortal, there will come times in life when you will need to rely on someone other than the men who raised you, someone you can talk to about things you may not necessarily be able to tell us.”

Hearing this, Lucille started shaking her head. Merlin was about to speak, but Gwaine beat him to it. He stepped up to Lucille, took both her hands in his, and said gently,

“Lucy, he’s not wrong. I personally didn’t see it that way till just now, but I cannot disagree with him. It’s true that we did not have real friends for a long time; in fact, Machaut was the first person we called ‘friend’ in over seven hundred years. Having him around made us realise what we were missing out on- someone who is there for us, someone we can talk to and trust.”

Lucille let out a sigh. She looked at Merlin, then at Gwaine, and in a minute, burst into tears. Merlin joined Gwaine in hugging their daughter.

“It’s going to be fine, my child… just hold on. We are here for you.”

Lucille spoke in spasms, holding on to both her fathers tightly.

“I… I miss Uncle Machaut so much already… and I don’t know if… if I’ll be able to love or even spend time with anyone at all if I’m just going to lose them… eventually they all will fall, and it’ll be just us again. That’s why I mean it, I don’t want anyone else, just you two are all I need!”

Merlin felt his gut churn with grief. Yes, losing Machaut, their first friend in years, was hard. He didn’t know what to say to Lucille, and when Gwaine spoke up once more, Merlin felt comfort in his words.

“Sweetie, yes, we miss old Machaut as well. But soon, with time, you will think of all the happy moments we shared with him. He is in Avalon now, resting peacefully for all his service, and I am sure he is waiting there for us all. In the meanwhile, he wouldn’t want you to be happy, my girl- he loved you too. He would have wanted us all to move on, to find comfort in life, and to find new friends. New people to form new memories with, while holding on to the ones we had with him.”

Saying so, he enveloped Lucille in a tight hug while she held on to him, nodding on seeing the sense in his words. Merlin wiped a stray tear that had found its way onto his cheek, a million memories of friends old and relatively new rushing through his head.

All of a sudden, there was a sharp knock on the door. Before Merlin could even grant permission, the door was forced open, and a young man marched in, arms raised. Merlin instinctively raised his hand and flashed his eyes gold, gesturing to Gwaine to protect Lucille. He was about to cast his spell as the intruder saw what he was about to do and leapt back, arms covering his face.

“Now wait just one moment,” he screeched, clearly perturbed. “I’m a friend! I’m one of the Five!”

Wait, did this young man, this barely adult little pipsqueak know about the Order? Merlin didn’t let his guard down, but didn’t blast the man into oblivion either. Arms at the ready, eyes still gold, Merlin barked, “Prove it!”

The man hastily scrambled away, patting each of his many pockets trying to find something.

“…could’ve sword I left it in here somewhere…” he muttered, flashing Merlin an embarrassed grin. Eventually he found what he was looking for- a small, round token, marked with ancient runes. Merlin recognised it with one glance, feeling the magic emanating from it. But… but this didn’t make sense. The Order of the Dragon operated strictly on seniority- only the brightest and the senior most would rise through the ranks progressively before finally becoming one of the Five in case of a vacancy. He glared at this young lad in front of him. He could barely be twenty-something, and here he was with one of the five sacred tokens Merlin had given out to the first members of the Five, tokens which were to be passed on to their successors only. Merlin trusted the Order, and he trusted the token this man had presented. However, he needed to know more before taking any action.

“Explain yourself,” he said coldly. He turned to check on Gwaine and Lucille, seeing that the knight had thrown their daughter to the floor and had knelt down to cover her from the spell Merlin was about to cast. When Gwaine leapt up with a nod, Merlin turned his attention back to the young man before them.

“I was selected as one of the Five just a couple of months ago on the death of Anna of Köln,” he said, straightening his robes. Merlin recognised the name, having briefly encountered the now deceased member of the Five a couple of decades ago. The lad continued, looking grim.

“I’m afraid we do not have time for a more detailed explanation; you are in imminent danger. The three of you, and the White Dragon. We need to leave immediately. I am to take you to Albion, to the First Cavern, for a meeting with all five of us.”

Merlin was dumbstruck. They were in danger? How? From whom? For a moment he turned cold, recalling the dire warnings of the Diamair- _“The time to be ever more vigilant has arrived.”_ He turned to Gwaine, who looked just as concerned as he stood eyeing the man, placing his hand protectively on Lucille’s shoulder. Merlin looked questioningly at his husband, who nodded back confidently. Gwaine trusted him, at least for now. The Order was safe. The token was safe.

“Alright then, we leave at sunrise tomorrow. You better have a really good reason for this, young man. We shall talk along the way.”

To Merlin’s shock, the man shook his head.

“No, Emrys. We need to leave now. Right this moment. Tomorrow will be too late, as will later this evening. Summon the dragon; we all need to leave this place at once, or it will be too late!”

Merlin just had to look into his eyes to know that the boy- no, the young man in front of him-wasn’t lying about this. He gestured to Gwaine and Lucille to follow, and soon they were out on the streets, making their way outside to the countryside. Merlin was too preoccupied at the moment, scared not for himself but for Gwaine and Lucille. His thoughts were interrupted by Gwaine striding up to the man and asking,

“You know us quite well, young man, but we do not even know your name. Tell us, who are you and where are you from?”

The man turned and smiled at them.

“My name, Sir Gwaine, is Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, and I come from Florence!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imminent danger- I wonder what that will be! And also, cue in the Medicis. 
> 
> NOTICE- Artists out here, is there any way you can add illustrations/art to this story? I have now idea how this works, so please comments if you would like to create art for this!
> 
> As always, thanks to all my readers! Comments and kudos appreciated.
> 
> PS- wrote a one-chapter story a few days ago. 'Loneliness Banished'. More Merlin-Gwaine stuff, unrelated to this one. Check it out!


	19. 19. Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Farewell, Reims. Our trio travel to England with Giovanni and are given a lot of information to process. Gwaine gets upset. An enemy gets frustrated.

“She has worshippers and followers? Active today? Who want to bring her back? How on earth did we miss…”

Merlin was completely nonplussed. He knelt his head into his hands, trying his best to digest what he had just heard. He closed his eyes and saw his old nemesis’ gloating face before him. Morgana’s cold snigger rung out in his mind and he winced. It may have been centuries, but he hadn’t forgotten the High Priestess. He and Gwaine had made it a point to not talk about her if they could help it, and the most recent conversation in which she had been mentioned was them telling Lucille the full story of what had happened. All of it, including what Gwaine had had to endure. Their young girl was now a woman, and she deserved to know the complete truth.

Merlin staggered back up, and looked over to Gwaine on his right. The knight was stoic, maintaining a bold façade on hearing that Morgana’s influence extended from beyond the realm of the dead, and that apparently a whole cult of her followers had survived through the ages, hiding themselves until just now, when they grew powerful enough to reveal themselves. Merlin’s insides hurt on seeing Gwaine sitting there, putting on a brave face for the Order, for Lucille, and for him. He knew that the knight had never forgotten the stings of the Nathair, and that the fact that this cult wanted to raise Morgana’s powers and fulfil her objectives would have chilled his husband to the bone.

“Unfortunately, that is true, Emrys. We… we are ashamed that we couldn’t whiff them out earlier, but one of our scouts was quite sure. He barely escaped their clutches in time to convey to us all that he had observed; he… he didn’t make it.”

The lad Giovanni de Medici certainly knew what he was doing. As Merlin sat across from him at the round table in the same underground cavern that he and Gwaine used to go to all those years ago back in Camelot, he could see the fervour in the young man’s eyes, determined to avenge the death of one of his own and to protect his Lord. Giovanni had ensured a smooth journey back to England, and Merlin had come to completely trust the lad after a few days in his company. Even Aithusa seemed to give a benign approval to him, and that was all that took to get Gwaine, and hence Lucille, to follow suit.

“But… but what do you suppose we do now?” asked Lucille sharply. “Are we to stay here in England?”

“No, I think not. Ever since we heard about the existence of the cult, we have been more cautious than ever.” Lady Matilda, First of the Five, replied with the authority that came with her position.

“Luckily, our numbers are high and we have eyes all over the place. You were lucky to leave France in time; it seems that they seem to be concentrated in Western and Northern Europe. England is safe for now, but it is the most obvious choice and they will expect you to hide in plain sight here, just like you did in Reims.”

“You’ll be coming with me!”

Merlin turned to see that it was the young Giovanni who spoke, a wide grin plastered across his face. The lad continued, clearly excited at the prospect.

“You’ll love Florence, you really will! You can stay with me; the Florentines are a very cordial lot. Once they know that two esteemed scholars and their ward are visiting all the way from England, they shall welcome you with open arms!”

Lady Matilda interrupted with a scolding voice, sounding almost maternal in her reprimand of the young Giovanni,

“Now we’ll have none of that! Do not forget, Signor de Medici, that you are supposed to be as discreet as you can.”

Giovanni sheepishly nodded. Merlin smiled warmly at the- well, he _was_ just a boy. Barely into his twenties. He would be good company to Lucille. Turning to the girl, Merlin saw her not-so-successfully attempting to hide a smile. He spoke up,

“Well then, it is settled. We leave for Florence when you are ready, Giovanni.”

“What of Aithusa?” muttered Gwaine, finally breaking his silence. “Where shall she go?”

With a slight rumble, the dragon spoke from behind them, crouched into a rather uncomfortable position in the otherwise spacious cavern.

“I shall be just fine; don’t you worry about me. I plan on stretching my wings; it has been quite a while since I have travelled far. The western lands will do me good.”

Merlin nodded at her. “If that is what you wish, Aithusa. Keep an ear open for my call; though I do not expect I shall need you. And take good care of yourself!”

The dragon nodded back, not one for too many words anyway. Oh yes, Merlin thought, the western lands should do her good. Europeans- or as far as he was aware, any race of mankind- hadn’t travelled that far west across the ocean. He, of course, knew about their existence, having travelled there with Aithusa and Gwaine three centuries ago, startling almost to death the poor natives of that vast continent.

Merlin was interrupted from his train of thought by a loud slam at the table.

“Why aren’t we taking care of them once and for all?!” It was Gwaine. “The Order of the Dragon should not have to cower before these… these vile sorcerers. The longer we allow them to fester, the more powerful they will become!”

“Sir Gwaine, please… they are far too spread out and mingled into normal society for us to take action without revealing ourselves. Besides, we do not yet know the full extent of their acti-”

“It is your job- your _only_ job to know that! Perhaps if the Order was more careful with the quality of its highest-ranking members, these monsters would have been found out a long time ago!”

“Gwaine!” gasped Merlin, unable to believe his ears. He flinched as Gwaine leapt up and stormed out of the Cavern into the newly built tunnels, back to their underground room. Merlin whipped around to Lady Matilda, Giovanni, and the other three members of the Order there with them.

“I... I’m sorry about…”

Lady Matilda smiled understandingly. “Go to him, Emrys. We understand his concerns and I personally apologise for this information not coming to our attention sooner.”

Merlin turned red with embarrassment at the old lady’s grace. He nodded at a sheepish looking Giovanni, who nodded back. As he rushed out after Gwaine, Merlin turned his head to see Lucille approaching Giovanni, trying to console him. He smiled internally, too worried about Gwaine’s state of mind to think too much of anything else.

“You want to tell me what that was about?”

Merlin strode into their tiny room to find Gwaine lying on the bed and fiddling with his sword. There was no grin on his face, only grim resolution. Merlin approached him and sat on the bed, at his feet, but Gwaine did not acknowledge his presence. Merlin let out a sigh. He had received the silent treatment from Gwaine many times in the few hundred years they had known each other, but so far it had only been accorded to him for relatively petty stuff. Just your average domestic disputes. This time, however, Merlin could sense that Gwaine was really bothered, and even though it wasn’t Merlin’s fault, the knight didn’t really want to say anything. Ah well, if Gwaine wanted to talk, he would. Merlin kicked off his boots and leapt onto the bed, shuffling up next to Gwaine and laying his head on Gwaine’s abdomen. He could feel Gwaine’s chest heaving up and down and his breath falling heavily. Merlin turned his head to look at Gwaine and snaked up his arm into his. They lay there like that for a few minutes, and Merlin could feel Gwaine’s heartbeat steadying and see the anger in his eyes disappearing after a while.

“I’m sorry Merls,” he eventually Whispered. Merlin smiled at him and kissed his hand. Gwaine continued with a sigh,

“I just don’t get how they- how _we_ could have missed something like this. Why on earth aren’t we doing something about it now?” He shook his head, clearly exasperated. “We shouldn’t have to run, Merlin. _You_ shouldn’t have to hide after you hid for so long back in Camelot. You should be happy; you should be free. Lucy should be free.”

Merlin closed his eyes, memories from Camelot whirring past in his mind. Arthur, Gaius, Gwen, the lot of them flashed by his eyes. Eventually, two faces settled. Gwaine and Lucille.

“I am happy, Gwaine. We have each other and we have our girl. I don’t care if we have to hide. Let the Order do what they do best; hunting down dark sorcerers. Lady Matilda has assured me she will call for us if help is needed; otherwise, we are not to be bothered.”

Gwaine scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Merls, both you and I know that no rag-tag team of overambitious sorcerers are a match for you. Well, not when I’m at your side, sword in hand, and with a few spells of my own, now that you have been teaching me!”

Merlin couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of him and Gwaine cursing and hexing a band of scared dark sorcerers and Morgana worshippers.

“You’re absolutely right about that, Gwaine, but we have had our fair share of adventures, don’t you think? And we’ll undoubtedly have more to come, what with the prat coming back eventually. The Order was created with the very objective of ensuring we face as little as possible in the meantime. Sure, taking care of a lone sorcerer up to no good in a nearby village is one thing, but this… we do not know anything about them. Heck, we do not know if Morgana is back already. I want to wait till we know more, Gwaine.”

“Merlin, we cannot ask them to risk their lives for us! One of their scouts already died getting us the little information we have! Are their lives not worth anything?”

Merlin sat up, startled.

“No Gwaine, and I feel terrible about that young man’s death! Be that as it may, the Order was designed for this very purpose! And we may be immortal, but we are not infallible. We are not invulnerable. I… I don’t want to risk anything, Gwaine, nothing that can prevent us from fulfilling our destiny. The Order is stronger than ever before, and will undoubtedly root out these miscreants.”

“Hmm,” muttered Gwaine, “I suppose you are right about that. I must apologise for that outburst back there; I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with Lady Matilda, she really is quite formidable!”

Merlin sniggered with Gwaine, collapsing onto the bed and laughing in his arms. Gwaine continued light-heartedly,

“We’ll have to make do with dear Giovanni in the meantime! The lad’s got guts, got to give him that! Imagine bursting through the door of the most powerful warlock ever without knocking or even introducing himself! I’m not sure you’d let me off so easily if I knocked down our door, Merls!”

Merlin practically brayed into Gwaine’s shoulder as they thought of the young Giovanni fiddling around his pockets, desperately trying to find the token which could identify him.

“He’s getting along quite well with our Lucille, by the way! I really hope they become good friends; she needs someone in her life besides us.”

“Well, he better be careful with her! One of the Five or not, he’s going to have to deal with me if he upsets my Lucy even the tiniest bit!”

Merlin rolled his eyes and poked Gwaine in the ribs.

“Come on now, you melodramatic hero, your Lucy is probably trying to deal with the Five as we speak! Time to go.”

With that, Merlin got out of bed and continued to the tunnel outside, giggling his way back to the First Cavern, arm across Gwaine’s shoulder, trying not to think of the glee they would bring Giovanni when he told him that they would accompany him back to Florence and be his guests there.

* * *

_Ten days ago, on the day after our company’s departure from Reims_

Louis walked through the winding streets of Reims, his men in tow. What was that address he had been given? He cursed at the tiny lanes filled with smelly peasants, trying to weave his way through the crowd. Time was of the essence; this wasn’t an appointment he wanted to miss. When he finally arrived at the house, he signalled to his men to be quiet. Flashing his eyes gold, he hid them from any prying eyes and blasted his way through the main door, only to be greeted by an empty room. This was odd- they were supposed to be here at this time. What was going on? Nodding his head to his men, he ordered them to search the place. When it was evident that the house was indeed empty, Louis and his men filed out back into the lane. Approaching the blacksmith working outside next door, Louis put on his most charming smile, showing all his crooked teeth, and said,

“My dear Monsieur, I wonder if you have seen your neighbours? I have travelled from far to meet them, and my business with them is quite urgent!”

The smith looked up, still hammering away on the forge, and said gruffly,

“And why should I tell you that? I have no idea who you are, and all the reason to believe you aren’t who you say you are. In fact, I suspect you mean my friends harm.”

Louis shook his head. Oh boy, the smith was going to wish he hadn’t shown him lip. With a swift jerk of his head, Louis knocked the poor man to his feet and levitated his anvil right above his face.

“As I said, my dear Monsieur, my business with them is quite urgent! Where are they? The two men and the girl?”

Louis leered as the smith squealed out in terror, his eyes on the anvil above him all the time.

“They… they left just yesterday! A young man came to get them, and they left right with him, not waiting around for anything, not taking any of their stuff with them! I do not know where! Please believe me, that is all I know!”

Louis groaned. _Merde,_ he thought, this was going to be more difficult than he anticipated. He shook his head with disappointment.

“Oh, don’t worry, I completely believe you!”

And with that he turned and marched out, his men trotting behind him, none of them paying any attention to the shriek of agony that came from the forge as the anvil landed with a dull thud and a squelch on the blacksmith’s face. Louis had larger problems to deal with than an anvil falling on a blacksmith’s face. Chief among them was having to explain to _her_ how he let Emrys, his consort, and their daughter escape his clutches. Sweating profusely, Louis made his way out of Reims, completely intent on capturing or killing the men his terrifying mistress had ordered him to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go. Who is the terrifying mistress Louis is so afraid of? Is it actually... I guess you'll just have to wait to find out!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments appreciated. Thanks to all my readers!


	20. 20. Storm

Lady Matilda looked with disgust at the snivelling coward before her. Louis had promised to obtain Merlin, Gwaine, and their daughter, and had failed to deliver. If she was going to bring Lady Morgana back, Arthur could not be allowed to live again. Emrys could not be allowed to fulfil his destiny. She had come to far to fail at this crucial moment. Infiltrating the Order had been difficult enough; commanding it required a fine balance between rooting out sorcerers loyal to her cause and letting them thrive. When their scouts had reported Morgana-worshippers (she had almost scoffed at that derisive term), the rest of the Five- including that whippersnapper Giovanni de Medici- had insisted on placing Emrys and his family under their guard. Giovanni had fled to Reims to get them out. Meanwhile, she had ordered her right-hand, Louis d’Archet, to find and incapacitate Emrys. She had even given him just the right spell to knock them all out temporarily. She would have disposed of him later, in her own way. But of course, Louis couldn’t be counted upon to perform this vital task for her. Her three targets were now in Florence, safe under Medici protection. She had a distinct feeling that Giovanni would be just the first in a chain of bothersome Medicis, but that would no longer be her fight. She would long be dead before her side could make the next move without risking annihilation. She snapped her fingers as her eyes flashed golden, and Louis writhed in agony, choking on his own blood. The oaf deserved it. Sighing in frustration, Matilda dismissed the few sorcerers in her room as she turned to the tall, skinny man next to her.

“You will be inducted into the Five after my death. Are you ready, Filippo?” He nodded.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Go rest with the knowledge that our friends won’t be around to plague our cause much longer. As for the Florentine, I will break him and his family. He will pay for stalling our mission. The Lady Morgana shall live again, and I will make sure to tell her about all your efforts, my Lady. About all the risks you took.”

Matilda smiled. The lad would show them real power. Real magic.

“Just a few more years, Filippo. I’ll be gone by then.”

Filippo smiled right back, not fazed in the slightest on hearing of his mentor’s impending death. Matilda knew that she had trained him well- emotion clouded judgement so often, she thought. Filippo knew that, and he would make Emrys suffer by separating him from his loved ones. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be killed, nor could they be captured for long. But what Matilda had in mind- the plan she had developed herself, and taught Filippo herself- would do the trick and incapacitate Emrys. _Oh yes,_ thought Matilda to herself, _the Lady Morgana will rule the world, and the tyranny of Arthur Pendragon would never return._

* * *

* * *

**_Thirty Years Later_ **

* * *

* * *

Merlin awoke as the sun shone on his face through the window. Blinking slowly, he stretched his arms, eliciting a slow groan from Gwaine as he bumped a fist into his husband’s face. Leaping out of bed, Merlin tugged the covers off Gwaine, earning him a nasty scowl and a muttered profanity.

“Come on, Gwaine! Cosimo is taking us out to sea today! We need an early start.”

Merlin smiled as Gwaine sauntered out of the bed. They had enjoyed the last thirty years in Florence as Giovanni’s esteemed guests from England, scholars seeking exclusively Florentine knowledge. Deceiving the other Florentines had been difficult; outside the immediate Medici family, no one knew of their true identities. After years of living in a house owned by the Medici, they would make a grand show of moving out and returning to England, only to spend a few months out of town in the woods and returning under different identities and ages. Leaving the Medici as young men and returning a few months later as bent dotards was actually quite comical- Lucille in particular enjoyed playing around with age and intimidating young men who made their advances to her younger form. She and Giovanni had become bosom friends, and Giovanni’s wife Piccarda was like a sister to her. Merlin had been delighted when Giovanni’s sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo had been born, agreeing to train them personally in magic and the skills of life while Gwaine took to their combat skills.

Just last week, the twenty-year-old Cosimo had taken them on a trip to Venice, where Merlin wanted to check a few scrolls. He, Gwaine, and Lucille had taken on their relatively younger appearance, looking how they did when they first met. The ‘Star of the Sea’ as it was known was a beautiful city, and they had taken an immediate liking to it. Today, they would sail down the Grand Canal and out to sea for a rare day off. Merlin appreciated whatever break he could get, and knew that Lucille and Gwaine felt the same way. Perhaps even Cosimo did- helping his father manage the Medici Bank was quite a task. Merlin chuckled as Gwaine soon emerged fully dressed, the hangover from yesterday night’s banquet having taken a toll on him.

“What are you giggling at?” The pillow hit him quicker than he realised.

“That’s right, Merls, you aren’t getting away with anything, not from me!” with that, Merlin surrendered to Gwaine as the knight scooped him up and showered him with kisses. Ah, life was beautiful.

A few hours later, Merlin found himself on a boat gently bobbing up and down on the sea. The entire skyline of Venice shone under the sun, with the domes of St Mark’s Basilica dominating the view. Gwaine lay beside him, taking a nap. Cosimo and Lucille sat at the opposite end, admiring the vast expanse in front of them. All was well as the gentle zephyr rocked the boat and the sea sparkled with warmth and beauty. Squinting across the horizon, Merlin saw a bird flying right to them. This was nothing new. The Order had trained birds to carry their messages and an extra bit of magic ensured a safe and speedy delivery. This was no doubt a message from Giovanni in Florence. The man had become very protective of Merlin and his family and had dealt with a number of potential threats over the years. Was this another warning, then? Or just another note of concern? As the bird got closer, Merlin sensed a disturbance in the tranquillity. This… something was wrong, yet he couldn’t place his finger on it. He nudged a reluctant Gwaine awake, and hushed him as he protested, pointing to the black bird as it settled on Cosimo’s arm. Gwaine bolted upright immediately, caution spread across his face. Merlin grew even more disturbed on seeing Cosimo’s face as he read the attached note.

“What does it say, Cosimo? Is Giovanni in trouble? Are we?”

The young Medici looked up, white in the face. Merlin walked up to him as he stuttered. Gwaine was quicker, snatched up the letter and began reading it.

“News from the Order- sorcerer in Venice. Associated with Morgana. Threat very serious. _DO NOT GO NEAR THE WATER._ Return to Florence NOW. Use magic. We’ll handle the Venetians.”

Gwaine finished with a deep breath. Merlin was still digesting these words as the knight grabbed him and whispered gently yet firmly,

“We need to go, Merls. Now! This is exactly why I wanted to get the bastards myself, so they cannot get to us like this! Get us out of here, get Lucy out of here!!”

Merlin’s stomach seized up as he stood rooted to the floor. It had been such a long time since they were in any real danger, and he had almost forgotten the feeling of immediate danger round the corner. Panic began to take over him as he didn’t know what to do.

“MERLIN! We need to leave, NOW!”

Merlin was shaken out of his spell by a frightened Lucille holding his face.

“Yes, yes of course! Gwaine, Lucille, Cosimo, to me, now!”

They were lucky that there was no one else on the boat. The four of them held hands and Merlin began the proper incantation, hoping to magic them to the shore at least, from where they could magic themselves back to Florence. Just as Merlin’s eyes were about to flash gold, the boat was rocked by a huge wave.

“No! To me! Hold my hand, NOW!”

Merlin yelled at the top of his lungs as he found himself in the water. Paddling furiously to stay afloat, he could barely see beyond the overturned boat. Cosimo happened to be right next to him, and Gwaine and Lucille holding on- only just- to the other side of the boat.

“MERLS! We are alright, grab the boat!” came Gwaine’s voice from the other side.

 _That was just a wave, wasn’t it?_ Merlin thought to himself as he swam towards the boat, Cosimo right behind him. _What if it wasn’t? No, Gods, please no!_

Merlin’s worst suspicions were confirmed as the water began to agitate, swirling and frothing as dark clouds gathered above and rain began to fall. This sorcerer was no ordinary cultist. He emerged from the waves, tall, thin, and menacing. Merlin clambered onto the boat to confront him, his gold eyes dashing to see Gwaine hanging on by the side with Lucille in his arms. He cast his spell, sending it squarely to the sorcerer’s chest, only to have it bounce off and diminish.

 _Gods, no! What is this?!_ Merlin’s shock was betrayed by his face as the sorcerer cackled.

“Not so powerful now, are you, Emrys?”

Merlin shook his head in denial, sending more powerful spells he knew towards the sorcerer, only to have those reflected too. He ducked for cover and leapt into the water beside Gwaine, casting a shield over the four of them.

“You cannot cower in there forever, Emrys. Eventually you will have to make a move, but I am not going to wait that long!”

His eyes flashed gold as he disappeared, sending a wave of tremendous energy sailing towards them through the water, breaking the group apart. Merlin felt his grasp over Gwaine’s arm breaking and did all he could to fight it.

“GWAINE! Don’t let Lucille go, hold on!”

“Don’t _you_ let go of me, Merlin!”

A jolt pushed Merlin back, His fingers desperately slipped against Gwaine’s, and he maintained his grip, though only by three fingers. He looked into Gwaine’s eyes to find those soft brown orbs looking scared like they hadn’t been in centuries.

 _No, I am not losing him!_ Merlin struggled against the torrent pushing him away from Gwaine, as the knight fought desperately against a torrent of his own, trying to hold onto him. One finger slipped off, two remained bound together against all odds. Merlin felt the adrenaline building up as yet another finger let go, and eventually, with one more tug of the waves, his hand broke apart from Gwaine’s and he found himself being thrust back, away from the wrecked boat, away from the people he loved.

“GWAINE!!!”

Water splashed over his eyes and pulled him under. Merlin resurfaced with a sharp kick and could barely see the upturned boat a few yards ahead of him.

“…lin!... Where are… Mer…!!”

Gwaine’s voice grew fainter and fainter as Merlin fought down the vomit and tugged and pulled against the waves. _No, please no!!_ A ginormous wave built up in front of him and completely blocked his view. He tried to muster his magic, but nothing stirred within him.

“GWAINE! LUCILLE!! COSIMO!!! I’ll find you! JUST HEAD BACK, I’LL GET YOU!!!”

Merlin thrashed in the waters, struggling to breathe as his strength began to fade and his eyes began to close. Bereft of any power at all, he caught onto a piece of driftwood just as his eyes closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I am very sorry for the late update; work is just piling up. I'm not sure when I'll be able to add the next chapter; though it shouldn't be this long a wait. 
> 
> Secondly, remember Lady Matilda from last chapter? Yep, she was a bad egg. 
> 
> Thirdly, any guesses about what will happen next? Go for it; I'd love to hear your theories!
> 
> Thanks as always; kudos and comments appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> I'll update as soon as possible; within the next few days.


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